Assessing and Supplying Fertilizer

Needs Under Organic Systems

M. Elena Garcia, Professor
Horticulture Dept.
University of Arkansas

Conventional vs. Organic Plant

Nutrition
Fundamental principles the same, whatever the
production system used:
Conventional systems:
Relies on targeted short-term solutions
Reactive
Application of soluble fertilizers

Plant Nutrition in Organic

Systems
Organic systems: Long-term solutions and
ecological approach
Preventive not reactive
Work within natural systems and cycles
Maintain or increase long-term soil fertility
Use renewable resources as much as possible
Management of soil organic matter (OM)
Rotation design for nutrient cycling

Organic Fertilizers
Naturally occurring materials of biological
or mineral origin and are low in nutrient
concentration or solubility or have both
properties
May be altered physically in processing
for agricultural use, but chemical
processing does not usually occur
(Baker, 2010)

Advantages and Disadvantages

of Organic Fertilizers
Advantages
Mild, non-caustic materials
Slow release makes them
available for longer time
If high OM content =
improvements in soil
physical properties
Sources of many essential
elements
Recycling of materials

Disadvantages
Low concentration of
nutrients = large
application
Slow release may not
supply plants immediate
needs
Concentration may be too
low to supply plants
needs
Expense

Conventional vs. Organic Plant

Fertilizers
Difference between organic and
synthetic fertilizers:
Not in the kind of nutrients supplied but,
Rate of release

Generally: Organic fertilizers release

nutrients slowly and in response to
environmental factors such as soil
moisture and temperature

Organic Regulations
Organic regulations require growers to
rely on the use of manures, cover
crops, crop rotations, and the use of
untreated products

Organic Horticulture Systems

Intensive
High dependency on imported nutrients
Crops have high demand for major and
minor nutrients
Usually several crops within one growing
season
Crop rotation difficult in perennial systems
Soli fertility maintenance major concern

The Fertility Equation: Soil

The ability of the soil to supply nutrients
needed for plant growth.
Recognize:
physical,
biological, and
chemical
components
these are
interrelated.

Soil Quality
Capacity of a soil to function within
ecosystem boundaries to:
Sustain biological activity
Maintain environmental quality
Promote plant health
It is not a soil property
Soil health = soil quality

Soil Health

Physic
al

Chemic
al

Biologic
al

Overlapping of the
physical, chemical,
and biological
properties
General picture of
soils capacity to
support plant growth
without degradation
sustainability

Ability of Soils to Supply Nutrients

Soil texture
Soil chemistry
Soil moisture
Soil tilth
Soil aeration

Soil Organic Matter (SOM)

Organic matter will prevent deterioration
of the physical properties of the soil by
serving as an energy source (i.e. food)
for microorganisms which promote
stable aggregation of the soil particles.
Essential nutrients are obtained by
plants as organic matter decomposes

Using Organic Amendments to

Improve Fertility

Organic amendments
increase OM content in
soil
OM increases CEC,
increasing nutrient
storage capabilities
OM supplies plant
nutrients
OM improves buffering
capacity (stabilizes pH)
OM promotes/aides
beneficial microbial
populations

Types of Organic
Amendments:

Animal Manure
Cover Crops
Crop residues
Yard debris
Biosolids

Plant Available N
Knowing total amounts of N-P-K does not
tell how much is available
Manure: total N is ~ 25-40%
Available N in compost is < 10% (stabilized
from)

Plant Available Nitrogen (PAN) from Amendments ( Gale et al)

PAN (%)
Amendment

C:N

NH4-N (g kg-1

Field

Lab

Dry broiler litter

6.3

41

45

Composted dry broiler

litter

7.3

38

45

Composted chicken
litter

5.6

47

25

Yard-trimmings

13

3.0

19

25

Composted yard
trimmings

17

0.7

Bio-Gro pelleted fish

byproduct

1.1

77

57

Feather meal

2.0

99

74

On-farm compost

15

0.1

Composted rabbit
manure

27

0.1

-6

-7

SOM, pH and Buffering Capacity

SOM has ability to moderate major
changes in pH
Soil pH is determined by amount of
positively charged H ions (H+) in the soil
solution

OM buffers the soil

Making H+ more constant
Taking and releasing H+

Pre-Plant Preparations
Soil analysis must!!
Adjust pH prior to planting.
Difficult to change pH after establishment.

Addition soil amendments prior to

planting.
Generally, fruits crops do not respond P
applications after establishment.

Cover Crops

Grasses or legumes
grown in pure or mixed
stands
Planted after harvest of
primary crop, as a fallow
crop, or interplanted with
primary crop
Can be incorporated into
soil or left on surface as
residue
Sometimes referred to as
green manure, catch
crop, or living mulch
depending on purpose

Benefits:
Reduced soil erosion
Improve soil structure
Suppress of weeds,

insects, and diseases

Enhance soil fertility
Increases OM
content
Retention of nutrients
Prevention of
leaching losses
Increases N content
Greater diversity of
soil microbes

Crop Residue

Portion of plant
remaining after harvest
left on soil surface
Widely used method of
maintaining OM
May be partially
incorporating at
planting time
Can harbor disease
and insect pests
May be avoided by: crop

rotation, removing
residue to compost it, or
proper timing of
incorporation

Benefits:
Increases OM content
Increases soil

aggregation
Prevents soil crusting
and erosion
Improves water
infiltration rates
Provides nutrients

Mulches
Helps keep soil cool in summer
Helps retain soil moisture
Adds organic matter, helps in nutrition
Improves soil structure
Helps reduce weed pressure
Increases soil water holding capacity

Tillage Effects on Fertility

Purpose:
Prepare seedbed
Control weeds
Break up traffic pans &

soil compaction
Incorporate crop
residue

Tillage and cultivation

practices should be
implemented that
maintain or improve soil
health and minimize
soil erosion.

Negative effects of
conventional tillage on
fertility:
Destroys soil organic

matter
Decreases diversity
and populations of soil
microbes and
earthworms
Decreases water
infiltration rates
Increases compaction

Effect of pH and Element

Availability in Mineral Soils

organicgarden.org.uk/?page_id=2387

Nutrient Budgets
Commonly used to evaluate the effects of
nutrient management on farm and field
sustainability
Are the outcome of a simple accounting process
that tracks inputs and outputs to a given,
defined system over a fixed period of time
Useful when accounting for renewable
resources in production and processing as a
way to avoid pollution and waste.

The Nutrition Equation

Balancing Act

Plant needs
Soil

The Fertility Equation: Plant Demand

Plant health
Ability of root system to absorb nutrients
Soil type
pH
Soil water content

Ability of plant to utilize

nutrients

Physiological stage
Crop load
Weed control

Essential Elements
16 elements are classified as essential
for all crops
Two criteria are used to establish the
essentiality
If the plant fails to grow and complete its
life cycle without this element
Constituent of a necessary metabolite b

Law of the Minimum

Justus von Liebig, generally credited as the "father of
the fertilizer industry", formulated the law of the
minimum: if one crop nutrient is missing or deficient,
plant growth will be poor, even if the other elements
are abundant.

Essential Elements
From air
Carbon: CO2
Hydrogen: H2O
Oxygen: H2O and O2

Plant Needs for Growth and

Development
Macronutrients
Nitrogen: NH4+,NO3Phosphorus: H2PO4-, HPO42Potassium: K+
Calcium: Ca++
Magnesium: Mg++
Sulfur: SO42-

Plant Needs
Micronutrients:
Iron, Zinc,
Manganese, Copper,
Boron, Molybdenum,
Chlorine, Silicon,
Sodium, Cobalt,
Vanadium essential to
some plants

Role of Mineral Nutrients

Mineral nutrients affect crop quality and
yield
Direct
Indirect
N excess over stimulates growth:
Fruit often softer, does not store as well
Shading causes loss of color in fruit

Flow of Nutrients into Plant

Mature leaf

xylem

Phloem

Fruit

Roots

Simplistic view
Xylem transports
water and mineral
nutrients from roots to
the rest of the tree
Phloem transports
leaf-assimilated
compounds through
the stems to roots

Ionic
Form

Soil Mobility Plant Mobility

NH4+
NO3-

Immobile
Mobile

Immobile
Mobile

P
K
S
Ca
Mg
B
Zn
Cu
Mn
Mo

H2PHO4K+
SO4Ca+
Mg++
H3BO3
Zn++
Cu++
Mn++
MoO4-

-Immobile
-Immobile
Mobile
Immobile
Immobile
Mobile
--Immobile
--Immobile
--Immobile
Immobile

Immobile
Mobile
Mobile
-- Immobile
Mobile
--Immobile
Immobile
Immobile
Immobile
Immobile

Monitoring Mineral Nutrition

Knowledge of:
Site/soil characteristics and chemistry
Plot design requirements
Plant physiological stages
Fertilizer inputs
Cultural practices
Tissue analysis
Observation and judgment

Nutrient Status Limitations

Crop
Rootstock
Variety
Soil depth
Root distribution
Soil water status
Temperature
Crop load
Soil pests
Soil Chemistry / nutrient availability

Nitrogen Utilization

Tagliavini, et al. 2000

Phosphorous Utilization

Tagliavini, et al. 2000

Interactions
N: Too much = Poor fruit quality
Too much N may create nutrition imbalances
N deficiencies common in organic orchards during
establishment years

K: Pre-planting applications
Depletion common
Adding K without Mg can create Mg deficiencies

P: Pre-plant application very important

Too much P can create Zn and Cu deficiencies

Diagnosing Nutritional Status

Soil analyses: Tell what is in the soil pH, OM
Limitations:
Sampling
Time
Depth
Foliar analyses: Tell what is actually in the plant
Limitations:
Sampling
Time
Condition of sample

Soil vs. Foliar Analyses

Many studies show poor correlation
between soil tests and leaf analyses in
orchards
Deep rooted
Accumulation of nutrients through out the
year
IMPORTANT TO DO BOTH ON A REGULAR
BASIS!

Ground vs. Foliar Application

The most efficient way to apply nitrogen,
phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium is by
ground application.
Foliar applications of these elements should
be viewed as temporary or emergency
solutions only.
Boron, zinc, copper, and manganese can be
added by either foliar or ground application.
The foliar method is usually preferred
because very small amounts are applied per
acre.