Advantages of organic fertilizer

Use of these organic fertilizers ensures that the food items produced are free of
harmful chemicals. As a result, the end consumers who eat these organic products
are less prone to diseases such as cancer, strokes, and skin disorders, as compared
to those who consume food items produced using synthetic fertilizers. The majority
of organic fertilizers can be prepared locally or on the farm itself. Hence, the cost
of these fertilizers is much lower than the cost of synthetic fertilizers. In addition to
the on-farm production possibilities of organic fertilizers, organic fertilizers help in
maintaining the soil structure and increasing its nutrient-holding capacity.
Therefore, a farmer who has practiced organic farming for many years will require
far less fertilizer, because his soil is already rich in essential nutrients. Organic
fertilizers ensure that the farms remain fertile for hundreds of years. Land located
at the site of ancient civilizations, such as India and China, are still fertile, even
though agriculture has been practiced there for thousands of years. The fertility is
maintained because organic fertilizers were always used in the past. However, with
the increased use of synthetic fertilizers today, land is rapidly becoming infertile,
forcing many farmers to further increase their use of synthetic fertilizers or even
leave the farming industry entirely. Organic fertilizers are easily bio-degradable
and do not cause environmental pollution. On the other hand, synthetic fertilizers
contaminate both the land and water, which is a major cause of diseases for human
beings and is the force behind the extinction of a number of plant, animal, and
insect species. We all know that synthetic fertilizers are made in large plants that
are automated and have an annual capacity of millions of tons. Organic fertilizers,
on the other hand, are prepared locally and on a much smaller scale. As a result, the
production of organic fertilizers leads to employment, especially in rural areas
where employment opportunities can sometimes be bleak.

Advantages of Synthetic fertilizer:

Fertilizers are used to provide nutrients to the plants for their good growth. Soil
nutrients deficiency is the prevalent problem among home-garden owners.
One of the distinct advantages of synthetic fertilizers are rich equally in all
three essential nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium.. Synthetic
fertilizers are generally much more inexpensive mostly because synthetic
fertilizers have more concentrated levels of nutrients per weight of product
than organic fertilizers do. One needs several pounds of organic fertilizer to
provide the same soil nutrient levels that a single pound of synthetic fertilizer
provides. They are highly analyzed to produce the exact ratio of nutrients
desired. Standardized labeling makes ratios and chemical sources easy to
understand. Synthetic fertilizers are made with synthetic ingredients designed
to stimulate plant growth. Commercial synthetic fertilizers have the advantage
of predictability and reliability. Formulations are blended with accuracy and
you can buy different blends for different types of plants. Commercial
synthetic fertilizers contain a balanced distribution of the three main essential
nutrients needed for optimum plant growth: nitrogen, phosphorous and
potassium. Many formulas also contain iron, sulfur and cooper. The amount of
the three main ingredients are listed in that order, by percentage, on
commercial fertilizer labels as the N-P-K ratio. Percentages of trace minerals
are not always listed. Commercial formulated fertilizers allow you to know
exactly which nutrients you're giving your plants, rather than guessing at the
composition of organic formula. Synthetic fertilizers always have a high total
NPK (nitrogen,phosphorous,potassium), from 20 to 60 percent or more. The
total NPK for organic fertilizer blends will always be low. Fourteen percent is
about as high as it gets.