Organic fertilizers and their importance for organic farming
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The need to reduce the dependence on artificial chemicals in different crops is leading to a search for reliable and sustainable alternatives. In organic farming, great importance is given to organic fertilizers, and increasingly, they are being used in intensive crops.
We can not forget the importance of improving various physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the soil and, in this sense, this type of fertilizer plays a fundamental role. Organic fertilizers increase the capacity of the soil to absorb the various nutrients, which later contribute with mineral or inorganic fertilizers.
Currently it is looking for new products in agriculture that are completely natural. There are still companies that are looking at different natural ecosystems around the world, especially in tropical regions, plants, algae extracts, etc., that are developed in different systems and that allow them to grow and protect themselves from diseases and pests. Thus, in several totally natural environments, those plants that are more interesting are reproduced by means of biotechnology techniques.
In these centers different vegetable substances are produced for the production of organic fertilizers and natural substances, to be applied in agriculture. To do this in different laboratories the most interesting substances are extracted to strengthen the plants grown in the greenhouse, and can also be used in ornamental plants, fruit trees, etc.
Properties of organic fertilizers.
Organic fertilizers have properties that exert specific effects on the soil, increasing its fertility. They basically act on the ground in three types of properties:
- Physical properties.
- The organic fertilizer, due to its dark color, absorbs more solar radiation, so that the soil acquires more heat and can absorb nutrients more easily.
- Organic fertilizer improves the structure and texture of the soil, making clay soils lighter and sandy soils more compact.
- They improve the permeability of the soil, by influencing the drainage and aeration of the same.
- They reduce soil erosion, both water and wind.
- Increase the water retention in the soil, so that water is better absorbed when it rains or is watered, and retains water in the soil for a long time during the summer.
- Chemical properties.
- Organic fertilizers increase the power of soil clogging (soil resistance to pH change) and, consequently, reduces fluctuations in pH.
- It also increases the cation exchange capacity of the soil, which increases fertility.
- Biological properties.
- Organic fertilizers improve aeration and oxygenation of the soil, so that there is greater root activity and increased activity of aerobic microorganisms.
- Organic fertilizers are a source of energy for microorganisms, facilitating their multiplication.
Types of organic fertilizers.
Algae extract is generally a product composed of carbohydrates that promote plant growth, one hundred percent soluble. This product is a biological activator that acts by promoting the recovery of crops against stress, increases vegetative growth, flowering, fertilization, fruiting and fruit production.
Another type of organic fertilizer is based on being an excellent biostimulant and vegetable rooting, due to its content and contribution of natural auxins, vitamins, plant hormone cytokinins, microelements and other substances that favor the development and growth of the whole plant. This second product is easily assimilated by the plants through the leaves or roots, applying both foliar and radicularly due to different assimilation agents contained by all the organs of the plant.
Another organic fertilizer contains a high content of free amino acids, which means that it acts as an activator of the vegetative development, improving the size and coloring of the fruits, etc. The supply of free amino acids facilitates the plant to save energy in synthesizing them, facilitating at the same time the production of proteins, enzymes, hormones, etc., as these compounds are important for all the vital processes of plants.
Finally, we highlight the typical organic fertilizers, which have a large amount of organic matter and, consequently, promote soil fertility, increase microbial activity and facilitate the transport of nutrients to plants through the roots. The humic substances increase the content and distribution of the sugars in the vegetables, so that it elevates the quality of the fruits and the flowers, increasing the resistance to the withered. The contribution of several nutrients is essential for the normal physiological development of the plant, since any deficiency thereof can cause deficiencies in the plant that can manifest in different ways.
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Humic changes.
The humic alterations favor the rooting, since they develop and maintain a young and vigorous root system during the whole vegetative period. The root development of the plant with the contribution of humid alterations is enormous, and that makes the development of it much faster, since it absorbs more nutrients, and that translates into an increase in production.
This organic fertilizer, when developing more roots, also balances better the nutrition of the plants, improves the performance of these against saline conditions and helps the elimination of several toxic effects. The roots are the cornerstone of a plant, and we can not forget that they serve as soil anchors. The roots of horticultural plants are fasciculate do not distinguish a main pivot. They consist of a series of main trunks that deepen crooked in the ground and in which the secondary roots are born.
The scarcity of organic matter, and thus humic and fulvic acids in the soil, makes it necessary to supply them to the soil. Given the technical, logistical and economic difficulties of the massive contributions of manure as a source of organic matter, liquid preparations based on humic and fulvic acids are essential to improve the fertility and productivity of soils.
The leonardite is a lignite (soft sedimentary rock formed by the compression of peat), brown, of vegetable origin. It is the raw material of wet substances, since it has a high content of total humic extract.
Amino acids.
Another key element in organic fertilizers are amino acids.
From 1804 until today, plant physiologists have shown that in addition to carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, there are thirteen chemical elements considered essential for the life of plants. Of these, the most important is nitrogen. Traditional fertilization does not always achieve its objective. Situations of hydric, thermal or phytotoxic stress can prevent plants from absorbing available nitrogen and use it for their biosynthetic processes.
These problems can be solved, using the most modern knowledge of plant physiology using basic elements of biosynthesis, that is, amino acids. Amino acids are the fundamental basis of any biological molecule and are organic compounds. No biological process can be carried out without the amino acids being sent at some stage of it. These amino acids are produced in specialized companies, through a mixing vessel in which yeasts and other products are placed. Subsequently, by means of several hydrolysis and centrifugation, organic fertilizer will be available. Proteins are nitrogenous organic substances of high molecular weight, and all are constituted by defined series of amino acids. Amino acids are, therefore, the basic units of proteins.
Plants synthesize amino acids through enzymatic reactions, through processes of amination (synthesis of amines) and transamination (reaction characterized by the transfer of an amine group from an amino acid to an α-keto acid, to form a new amino acid) and a new amino acid the new α-ketonic acid, made by transaminases), which carry a high energy expenditure by the plant. From the nitrogen cycle, the possibility arises of being able to supply amino acids for the plant, so that it saves the work of synthesizing them, and thus to obtain a better and faster response in the plant. Thus, amino acids are easily used by plants, and the transport of them is no longer applied, addressing all parts, especially the growing organs.
The amino acids, in addition to a nutritional function, can act as transport regulators of microelements, since they can form complexes with metals in the form of chelates. But the quality of a product based on amino acids is directly related to the procedure used to obtain such amino acids.
All organic fertilizers can be used in any species of plants and their application is usually by irrigation, placing a series of auxiliary tanks, through which they are injected into the irrigation system in tight quantities.
Fertilizer is the core factor that influence productivity, knowing how to generate organic fertilizer and applying it on our farm land is a good practice. Thanks for sharing this post with us
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Thanks dear @farms