TRANSITION TO SOIL FERTILITY IN ORGANIC FARMING

Dynamic of Innovations into a Sustainable Agricultural Practice in Support Of Circular Economy in Africa

Fertility in Organic Farming

(Inquiry into innovative agricultural practice that is economic and ecologically viable)

By: Jonathan Tetteh-Cole aka NORJGiX

The soil, plants and crops (SPC) plays essential role in our lives. We need to prudently manage them to alleviate food insecurity in the midst of climate and weather challenges confronting us today and the future.

Years ago, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations predicted that the world population will be over 9.1 billion people by the middle of the 21st century. Accordingly, food production will have to rise about 70% above current levels to maintain pace with demand. The credible method for obtaining this enhancement in food production would be to increase the amount of land available for agriculture. However, the conversion of natural forests and/or other wild habitats engenders a number of well-known negative impacts on climate change and global bio-diversity. Furthermore, it is accepted worldwide that such an expansion of agriculture could be responsible for approximately 12% of global warming. Regardless of its implications, sustainable agriculture must be based on providing optimal growing conditions for plants in order to achieve optimal crop production from the land over a season. To not only optimize crop yield but also to reduce the negative impacts that agriculture can exert on the environment, it is mandatory that farmers adopt the best agricultural practices. Agriculture in the 21st century faces several challenges, including: producing meat without raising animals, better irrigation management for agricultural processes, the development of genetic engineering for droughttolerant and higher-yielding crops, the improvement of agricultural precision and aquaculture, the sustainable development of biofuels, and the promotion of organic agriculture around the world. However, intensifying food production must be achieved in an environmentally safe manner through ecological intensification to increase the yield per unit of land, approaching the maximum available yield of farming systems, with minimal or no negative environmental impact. Due to soil malnutrition and infertility, it is evident, then, that effective fertilizer selection, as well as its rational use, is key to meeting this challenge. Perhaps the most important of the major objectives of farmers, members of National Administrations, and the suppliers of agricultural inputs is to both stimulate the use of appropriate agricultural practices and to guarantee the availability of suitable fertilizers in the market. Techniques such as crop rotation, minimum tillage, and crops grown under cover tend to maintain the structure and quality of soils.

Aside these, records reveals that the volume of organic waste is on the rise exponentially, and in most countries, it is left untreated which is leading to tragic consequences for local and global environment. Agricultural, animal farming, food industries, cities and alike all produce organic waste on regular basis. Embarking on waste segregation under circular economy practice, organic waste could be recycles into fertilizers (soil conditioner), but current processes are unstable, inefficient, and frequently involve use of hazardous chemicals which could pose environmental consequences. So, there is the need to transform the organic waste into a sustainable and effective soil conditioner with the least significant environmental impact. The correct selection and application of fertilizers is directly determined by (the 4Rs) the right dose/rate, the right source, the right time, and the right placement method. Fertilizer can be in the form of liquid, powder, or granule.

By definition, a fertilizer is a material, either of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soils or to plant tissues to supply at least one, but often more, of the nutrients essential for plant growth. The majority of fertilizers employed in commercial farming provide the three main soil fertilizers (namely, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash). These fertilizers are extracted from minerals (e.g., from phosphate rock) or produced industrially (e.g., ammonia). In contrast, the other type of product employed is the organic fertilizers, which are derived from animal matter, animal excreta (manure), human excreta, and vegetable matter (e.g., compost and crop residues). Naturally-occurring organic fertilizers include animal wastes from meat recessing, peat, manure, slurry, and guano. Dependence on organic nutrient sources is a central characteristic of organic agriculture, which uses nutrients derived from sources such as livestock and green manure and even several types of compost to meet crop demands in intensive production.

Organic farming is a practice that is aimed to conserve, protect human health, maintain or enhance natural resources with the goal to preserve quality of environment for posterity to thrive in a sustainable way. One of the advantages of the use of organic fertilizers for organic farming is that they provide crops with nutrients over a long period of time in a slow and extended release process. Accordingly, more research on improving efficiency and minimizing losses from organic natural resources is underway to determine costs and benefits analysis, and to develop optimal agricultural practices to avoid the use of synthetic inorganic or mineral fertilizers. However, we are aimed to highlighting the importance of production and application of organic fertilizers in sustainable agriculture practice and the safety of our Eco diversity.

SOURCES OF FERTILIZER AND ITS DRAWBACK

Basically, it is important to note that organic matter and nutrients play an important role in terrestrial ecosystems and agro ecosystems - enriches the soil with beneficial microbes. However, inadequate production and application of raw material of biofertilizers could pose the soil and plant to disease and pest attack or foodborne pathogenic bacterial on crops. Conversely, a long-term application of mineral fertilizers and farmyard manure could help maintains the health of soils but may pose sustainable negative impact to our environment and ecosystem. Application of inorganic or synthetic fertilizer which is composed of ammonium nitrate, ammonium phosphate, and potassioun sulfate is only good for boosting cropyield but could be detrimental to plants or contaminate agric produce, ground and surface water bodies – as it do little to improve long-term health, texture or fertility in a sustainable way. Henceforth, appropriate CN and NPK ratios (Fertilizer Fertility Formulation Formulae) need to be carefully considered at onset. On the contrary, the N-P-K ratio of organic fertilize is lower than the N-P-K ratio of synthetic fertilizer.

IMPORTANCE OF COMPOSTING

Microorganisms play a very important role in composting. Rapid composting entails creating the best environment to support microbial activity. The following are important elements for rapid and efficient composting: moisture, aeration, temperature, and particle size of compost material. The principles of composting is one of the very old methodology which have been appreciated and employed in crop production for centuries. This method can nutritiously enrich the essential elements that enhances the physical, chemical and biological properties and processes thereby improving soil fertility for a sustainable crop production that is both valuable to agriculture and relatively safe from the viewpoint of public health considering all other factors that act to produce a finished compost for consumption.

ANAEROBIC FERMENTATION

on the contrary, the method of anaerobic fermentation of agricultural wastes, which is produced by a consortium of methanogenic microorganisms including humic-like substances, for applications such as plant growth biostimulants, organic-mineral fertilizers, and phytohormones could also be adopted.

IMPORTANCE OF COMPOST TEAS

Based on the nature and behaviour of its nutrient sources, effects and mechanisms, compost teas which is an organic fertilizer could also be an ideal beneficial product in any cropping system.

VERMICOMPOSTING METHOD

Vermicomposting method which is a pollution-free and cost-effective product, could also be employed in many applications to increase water-holding capacity, crop growth, and yield, and to improve the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil in order to increase the production of plant growth regulators.

IMPROVEMENTS IN CROP PRODUCTION THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF ORGANIC FERTILIZER

In the past 30 years, there had be tremendous innovations in the quest to improve crop production. For instance in a country like the South East of Asia, Vietnam has been producing organic fertilizers from a range of materials using different production technologies, but production capacity is small and does not meet the demands of organic agriculture. It is important to note that soil microbes basically need to break down the fertilizer into plant uptake. To these effect, from the onset the following factors need to be considered: First, soil texture (sandy, silt, and clay). It is therefore critical to determine category of crop to produce, for instance, wet feet plants need 40% of silt and 20% of clay because the combination is hard to get wet but stays wet for a long time. We can amend the silt and clay soil by adding compost or coarse sand. However sandy soil (40%) drains faster therefore there is the need to amend it with fertilizer, sawdust or nitrogen. Second, the pH level in terms of acidity and alkalinity (sour acidic soil – Neutral pH – Alkaline Soil) need to be considered. However, too low of soil pH or too high soil pH can result in plant deficiency or Toxicity, so therefore there is the need to carefully manage soil changes or concentration adjustments. It is important to know that most plants survive under 6.0 – 7.0. Once soil pH level is determined, it may be necessary to adjust it to suit the needs of the plants you’re growing. The level of acidity will specify the amount of soil amendment that is needed to bring it up or down to the appropriate level. Acidic (“sour”) soil is counteracted by applying finely ground limestone or wood ash, and alkaline (“sweet”) soil is typically treated with gypsum (calcium sulfate), ground sulfur, or compost. Paying particular attention to soil pH level for plants and the availability of Nutrients at Varying pH Values

Loamy soil consist of equal parts of Sandy: Silk: Clay known as a perfect balance (where the soil is moist, allow oxygen, has more organic matter). Third, Soil Testing: the results will determine whether to improve soil fertility with compost which is an organic matter. However, soil enriched with naturally occurring microorganisms (earthworm, fungi, etc.) easily and quickly breaks down organic matter to release the needed essential nutrients to grow plants. However it is important to note that during the digging to apply the fertilizer could disturb the soil structure, so can live the compost or organic matter on the surface for earthworms to do the digging – as well as warm-up before pullout weeds.

FUTURE OF ORGANIC FERTILIZER

Eco-technologies have a serious role to play in this industry in that lately, players are conducting thorough research into the use of Nanomaterial of Nanofertilizers which helps to improve crop production and protection together with environmental protection. The Nanomaterial enhance the control release of soil nutrients to the plant. Here, the micronutrients are integrated with the nanomaterial helping to provide nutrients to the plant without deteriorating the environment and the ecosystem. At this juncture, it is evident that future agricultural practices will irreversibly shape Planet Earth’s land surface, including its species, geochemistry, and the protection of the entire bio-diversity.

Counting of your cooperation of changed values, attitudes, believe and behaviour, we aspire to meet the expectations and needs of all stakeholders in the different aspects of the use of organic fertilizers to achieve a sustainable agriculture without compromising environmental integrity”.

Henceforth, all contributions made by researchers, scientists, engineers, teachers, graduate students, agricultural agronomists, farmers, and crop producers are duly acknowledged.