Avoid Chemicals, Shift to Organic Fertilizers for Improving Health of Soil

Nursery Today Desk

New Delhi: Using excessive amount of chemical fertilizers affects the fertility of the soil and deteriorates its quality. This leads in reduction of Soil Organic Carbon (SOC), which is the source of all nutrients in soil. This reduces the ability of plants to fight against diseases and stops their growth.

This has become a challenge for the farmers and food security of our country. To solve this problem, organic farming is being promoted by the agricultural scientists and government. Cow dung, vermicompost and green manure can revive the agricultural land.

Here are some tips to improve the quality of your soil

Using green manure and reducing the use of chemical fertilizers has to be promoted. Number of earthworms, vermicompost and cow dung should be increased in the soil. Crop diversification plays a great role in increasing the fertility of the soil, which is generally ignored by the farmers. Therefore, crop diversification implemented.

Vermicompost increases the water holding capacity of the soil which helps to keep soil moisture for longer period. This also increases the number of bacteria in the soil. So, add vermicompost to the soil to reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers.

Green manure stabilizes the nitrogen in the atmosphere and acts as food for microorganisms which helps them multiply faster. Sow the crop within 2 weeks of adding green manure in the soil for no loss of essential micronutrients.

Increased yield, increased water holding capacity due to increased humus content in the soil, and abundant availability of nutrients all leads to the increment in the production of the crops.