IMPORTANCE OF THE SOIL
As soil is scattered all around us in abundance and its deteriorating and diminishing quality is not visible. Due to this reason our economy, livelihood and food availability of crores of people are seriously affected.
Soil has its own life. It is inhabited by innumerable bacteria. There is a system for water intake and air circulation. It is a provider of nutrients in many ways. When this system is broken, the fertility of the land is destroyed. The same soil is visible from outside, but its life-giving capacity is greatly reduced.
It takes hundreds of years for the soil to form. Soil is valuable, there is no substitute for it. Soil is not prepared in the laboratory or factory. So it must be protected very seriously.
We should take a pledge that we will always use bio, organic and natural things as much as possible in our day today lives.
Meaning Of Bio,Organic And Natural
Bio
Biological Product must originate from ecologically controlled cultivation. Biological stands for the way the food is produced. A biological farming method consists of taking human ,animal and plants into account.
Bio label ensures that producers did not use pesticides or other chemicals to grow their products or to feed their animals. Genetically modified food products are not allowed to use bio label.
Organic
Organic is a certification that guarantees that the product is made with as little impact on the environment as much as possible.
Natural
Anything that is produced by life (free of artificial or synthetic ingredients). These products are made from ingredients that are present in nature. Natural products are supposed to be natural but it is not regulated.
PLANTS : ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS
Complete Nutrients which are essentially required for a plant.
Complete Nutrients 14 = 3 Primary Nutrients + 3 Secondary Nutrients + 8 Micro Nutrients
CHEMICAL V/S ORGANIC
For centuries, we have been doing farming using indigenous methods and organic fertilizers. With the rapid increase in population, we started needing more food grains. Science has found scientific methods and chemical fertilizers to get maximum production of food grains, which in the long run began to be used without estimating the side effects. Due to indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers the production of food grains increased a lot, but it is making our land barren. Now we are again focusing on indigenous methods and organic fertilizers. Massive awareness campaigns are being run in many states to emphasize the use of organic fertilizers. The state of Sikkim has become the first organic state to introduce 100% organic farming and got the UN the Gold Medalist of the Future Policy Award, There is no need of chemical fertilizer for home garden. Organic fertilizer is perfectly suitable. The use of only organic fertilizers is absolutely appropriate for flowers, fruits and vegetables production, because the horrific side effects of chemical fertilizers are coming to the fore.
Effects of chemical fertilizers and pesticides->
1. Chemical Fertilizer has adverse effects on human health. By reaching water sources, they pollute the soil, causing serious health problems for humans and animals. Contaminated animal feed is producing slow poison in the milk of milch animals. It is giving rise to many serious diseases. Due to the excessive use of pesticides in Punjab, the number of cancer patients has increased so much that cancer train has to be run there. Due to this increasing pollution from the rivers, the number of fish is greatly reduced. Increase of one food leads to decrease of another food.
2. The land is slowly becoming barren. Due to this reason income will also decrease.
3. Pollution increases.
4. These chemicals wreak havoc on the micro-organisms, earthworms, etc., whereas they increase the fertility of the soil. Owing to indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers our soil is becoming barren day by day.
5. In India, 86% fall in the small cultivator and marginal category. The use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides pushes the farmers towards indebtedness. The fertilizer manufacturer has been getting the benefit of the huge fertilizer subsidy provided by the government, not to the small farmers. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has confirmed that chemical farming is directly linked to farmer indebtedness and suicides.
3 Primary Nutrients
- Nitrogen (N)
- Phosphorus (P)
- Potassium (K)
3 Secondary Nutrients
4. Calcium (Ca)
5. Magnesium (Mg)
6. Sulfur (S)
8 Micronutrients
7. Boron (B)
8. Copper (Cu)
9. Iron (Fe)
10. Zinc (Zn)
11. Nickel (Ni)
12. Chlorine (Cl)
13. Manganese (Mn)
14. Molybdenum (Mo)
CHEMICAL FERTILIZER COMPARISON ORGANIC FERTILIZER
Chemical Fertilizer
- Made from synthetic material.
- Fast result but short duration impact.
- Adverse effects on soil environment and human health.
- It kills micro organisms present in the soil. It does not add humus therefore it decreases fertility.
- Over fertilizing harms.
- Full of chemicals, negative impact on health. It causes pollution.
- Costly but less quantity is required.
- Adverse impact on soil aeration, porosity, root growth, soil texture, water holding capacity and nutrients intake.
Organic Fertilizer
- Made from living things.
- Slow result but long duration impact.
- Positive impact on soil, environment and human health.
- It increases microbial activities and population. It adds humus to the soil therefore it increases fertility.
- Over fertilizing does not harm.
- Chemical Free & Pollution Free, Eco-friendly, Safe and Healthy.
- Cheap but large quantity is required.
- It improves soil aeration, porosity, root growth, soil texture water holding capacity and nutrients uptake.
BENEFITS OF ORGANIC FARMING
Farmers' Vision
Increase in the fertility of the land.
Increase in the productivity.
Decrease cost of cultivation.
Increase irrigation interval.
3 Secondary Nutrients
Improve the quality of land
There will be less evaporation of water from the land.
Increases the water holding capacity of the land.
Environmental Benefits
Pollution reduction
Reduction in diseases
Rise in ground water level
Economic Benefits
Increase in the income of farmers by reducing the cost of cultivation.
With the rapidly increasing popularity of organic products, marketing of products is easier than ever.
Scope more of exports to the international market.
Few Smoldering Questions on Plants Food
Now it is a well established truth that plants also have life like humans. Our life is also dependent on them because they give us life air (oxygen) and absorb carbon dioxide. There are innumerable other benefits as well. How are we dealing with them, we feed our pet dogs with dog feed worth thousands of rupees every month, but after giving a little dung manure to the plants dependent on us, we do not give anything except water. Whereas most of the nutrients keep flowing through the water from the pots. Do you know that most of the top fifty most polluted cities in the world are from India? Plants are the best air purifiers. If we do not give them food and water in time, then they will reduce or stop working due to which the situation of pollution will get worse.
Low Standard & Costly Plant Food
Plant food sold in the market is low standard. 90% of the plant food sold in the market is sold without a label or name. Branded company’s plant food is scarcely available. They are being sold by putting 2-3 cheap ingredients in them, generally packed by illiterate or less educated people.
Dung Manure
It contains only the some amount of Nitrogen. Phosphorus and Potassium are very less. There are no other nutrients whereas other nutrients are essential for a plant. It is also a difficult task to get right manure. One year old dry dung is scarcely available especially in our urban areas . Quality Vermi Compost is also scarcely available.
Conclusion
In such a situation, Plants are not able to do the work of purifying the environment and giving life air. Soil fertility is decreasing. we are getting less flowers and fruits.Our plants are crying silently but who will listen to them. When adulteration of human food is not stopped. Who will care about plant food. Don’t put everything on the government, show activeness on this small issue. Unless the consumer becomes aware, he will continue to be cheated. We have to be aware of the food of the our plants because it is directly related to our interests along with national interests.
Advantages of Liquid Fertilizer
- Every drop contains identical formulations.
- Easy and uniform application.
- Fast acting upto roots and instant results.
- Nutrients are quickly available to plants.
- User control over nutrients. It gives control when the problems arise.
- Mid season use is possible.