Why Organic?
Part One: Organic Fertilizers:
Understanding The Soil Processes
Most of us will agree that the soil is the major natural resource available to mankind. Yet it is and has been abused by us to the point of self destruction. Many past civilizations have perished due to their abuse of the soil (like Mesopotamia and the Mayan civilization).
Why didn't anyone stop the destruction? The soil destruction process takes time and the changes in each generation are "small" so no one cared - and most of us still don't.
The soil in which we plant crops today has been self perpetuating for millions of years without man's help. It will continue to do so if we do not disturb its natural cycle.
In the soil there are nutrients and trace elements - both of which plants require for growth. They are essential.
Soil moves continually in a natural cycle aided by oxygen, water, minerals and decomposing animal and plant matter. These elements create life in the soil, which is ongoing if not disturbed. We speak of healthy soil if it works well and nutrients continue to be available to the plant.
- Good soil consists of 93% mineral and 7% bio organic substances.
- The bio-organic parts are 85% humus, IO% roots, and 5% edaphon.
Edaphon is itself the "world" of life and consists of microbes, fungi, bacteria, earthworms, micro fauna, and macro fauna as follows:
The Edaphon consists of:
Fungi/Algae 40% Bacteria/Actinomycetes 40% Earthworms 12% Macrofauna 5% Micro/mesofauna 3%
Some of the nutrients get lost naturally through leaching continually wet weather, melting snow, flooding or through denitrification. Also each cultivated plant takes nutrients from the soil, as soon as the crops are harvested.
The substantial task of the farmer is to take care of returning nutrients taken from the soil through harvesting. The conventional farmer is using water soluble, mostly salty chemical fertilizers.
In contrast, the bio-organic farmer uses organic matter in the form of organic fertilizers, crop residues, and other wastes, and /or compost in order to take of soil life, its proliferation and stimulation to highest efficacy.
With this treatment and approach, the bio-farming system should bring out the following: Stronger nutrient accumulation and nitrogen fixation. Availability of soil nutrients to plants.
Humus
The natural life cycle of our fields must be kept functional through the addition of organic matter after the residues from the previous crop have been depleted in order to build new Bio-Organic-Mineral nutrition for our next crop. This action cannot be replaced with the water soluble salts or overdoses of chemical fertilizer (Urea, etc.) which destroy soil life, not build it.
During the growing season, as the plants fix carbon dioxide by photosynthesis, about 10-25% of this fixed carbon, finds its way back to the soil through the roots (root exudates) - this is even if all residues including roots are removed. This is very important in bio-organic farming.
The production of humus is a complex process. In general, cyclic substances like phenol groups and also other like organic acids and vitamins (humus is also related to crude oil) are polymerized with help of enzymes, like phenol oxidase. These cyclic compounds are both from plant parts (like lignin) and are also produced by the microorganisms. Mostly fungi, actinomycetes (Streptomycetes) seem to be responsible for humus formation. Aspergillus, Pisolithus, Rhizoctonia, Streptomycetes are only but a few examples of microorganisms actually capable of synthesizing cyclic(aromatic) compounds and form them into humus from non-cyclic materials.
It is impossible for man to produce stable humus synthetically. Man can properly cultivate the field, supply organic matter and so encourage the development of stable humus in the soil. Soil with stable humus must always be protected to maintain the fertility and productivity of the soil.
The production and maintenance of stable humus in the soil should be the primary goal of every farmer. Good stewardship of the land is necessary to protect and maintain mankind’s most important asset, fertile soil.
For nearly one hundred years, soil science in most schools of higher learning (especially in agricultural colleges) has been primarily concerned with the physical and mechanical aspects of soil structure. Biological thinking has become a major concern only in the last few years.
The new approach considers not only the physical properties and mineral structure of the soil, but also the process by which organic matter is transformed into humus by microorganisms.