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Percolation of Organic Fertilizer into Soil

Essay

Agricultural production is one of the oldest economic and occupational activities in the world, in which human beings carry out crop production and animal rearing for different purposes. The primary reason for agricultural production is the provision of food for home consumption or sale. Crop production and farming entail the growing of the various types of crops (such as maize, wheat, sorghum, vegetables, root crops and beans), planting fruits (including mangoes, oranges, melons and strawberries) and also planting a different kind of trees. In farming and crop production, the most significant evolution noted over the years is the considerable change that has occurred in farming practices used. The changes in farming practices have been attributed to various factors that include technological advances in the world, research and innovation, invention of the wheel, increased demand for food and also adaptability of crop production to the environment and climate change. There is a significant difference between traditional farming practices when compared to modern farming. Traditional or indigenous farming practices and processes include animal and hand plowing, terrace or bun cultivation, bamboo drip irrigation practice and different harvesting and post harvesting practices       (Rathakrishnan, 2009). A significant difference observable in the modern farming practices and processes is mechanization of almost all the processes including cultivation, planting, fertilizer application, irrigation, and harvesting.  Other modern practices include the application of pesticides and insecticides, plant breeding, application of fertilizers, and many others. This essay focuses on the use of fertilizers, particularly organic fertilizers and its percolation rate in different types of soil.

Fertilizers refer to any natural or synthetic material that is applied to the soil or plant tissues so as to supply one or more plant nutrients required for growth of the plant or to increase its productivity. Fertilizers get further subdivided into two types namely organic and inorganic fertilizers. Organic fertilizers are those get perceived to be organic from the chemical composition perspective and usually get manufactured or obtained from animal or crop products (Lal, 2006). Organic fertilizers include cow manure, organic compost, bone meal, liquid manures, barnyard manures, cottonseed meal, worm castings, seaweed, slurry, fish emulsion, green manure crops, household wastes, bat guano and others that are deemed to be natural such as untreated salts. Organic fertilizers started to be used in the ancient times, as the Greek historians, Xenophon and Theophrastus, recommended their use in crop production hundreds of years ago before Christ (Chesworth, 2008). Inorganic fertilizers, on the other hand, get mined from mineral deposits or manufactured using synthetic compounds. Inorganic fertilizers get composed of three principal components namely Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P) and Potassium (K), and include ammonium sulfate and ammonium salts, chemical compounds and sodium nitrates (Maier, Pepper & Gerba, 2009). The different fertilizer types have varying benefits and disadvantages when used in crop farming; therefore it is necessary for a farmer to select the most suitable for their crop farming depending on factors such as availability, the size of farm, agricultural research, cost, type of crop,  and government programs if available.

When organic fertilizers are added to the soil, microorganisms in the soil decompose them thus making the elements or nutrients required to be used by plants. Organic fertilizers get preferred by farmers due to various aspects that include increased soil production, environmental and energy cost considerations and also premiums paid for organically produced plant and animal products in some countries. The suitability of fertilizer to a crop and the ability of the crop to use the fertilizer efficiently are influenced by various factors that include soil depth, soil compaction, soil PH, salinity, alkalinity, percolation rate of the fertilizer, organic matter content, soil texture, and the microbiological properties of the soil. All these factors affect the availability of fertilizer nutrients to the plant. Percolation in agricultural production refers to the movement of water downward and radially through subsurface soil layers, particularly continuing downward to groundwater. The percolation rate of soils is a measure of the vulnerability of groundwater’s to contamination by surface waters. Nutrient leaching is the downward flow of dissolved nutrients in the soil profile with percolating water. If nutrients are leached below the rooting zone of the vegetation, they may get lost permanently thus leading to groundwater contamination, or they may be lost temporarily and recycled when the roots grow deeper. The addition of organic fertilizers in winter or autumn may lead into substantial nitrogen loss due to nitrate leaching and hence cause nitrate accumulation in aquifers. It is necessary for a farmer to carry out percolation tests of the soil, which is a test for soil drainage that entails timing the speed at which water drains out of a hole dug in the ground. Poor drainage of the soil blocks air from reaching the plant roots as well as water containing nutrients from percolating to the plant roots, and also encourages the proliferation of anaerobic microorganisms instead of aerobic microorganisms. The test is carried out by excavating a hole 30 inches by 30 inches, then filling it with water, letting it drain completely, filling it again with water and this second time observing the drainage time, which should be at a rate of 1 inch per hour. Therefore, in an estimated 3 to 11 hours the water should have completely drained) (Asakawa & Asakawa, 2013). The leaching of fertilizer urea is rapid at high percolation rates, therefore, escapes hydrolysis through soil urease.

The action of organic fertilizers entails of decomposition so as to release the nutrients required by plants. The decomposition of organic fertilizers is very slow this allowing for the slow release of the ions. The organic fertilizers not only produce nutrients required by plants but also provide microorganisms that produce a thriving soil food web. The decomposition of organic fertilizers occurs in two ways namely anaerobic digestion (without oxygen) and aerobic digestion (with oxygen). Aerobic decomposition is faster and more efficient as compared to anaerobic decomposition (Pawłowska, 2014). The aerobic decomposition of organic matter begins with the hydrolysis and the oxidation of organic compounds by mesophilic microorganisms. The temperature around the organic body begins to rise, and microorganisms belonging to moderate thermophiles start to develop. Actinobacteria and fungi dominate among all the microorganisms and digest moderately and hardly biodegradable compounds including hydrocarbons, cellulose, lipids, and hemicelluloses. The byproducts of this process are CO2, H2O, and NH3. Under suitable conditions, the ammonia may oxidize to nitrate. Micronutrients such as potash and phosphorus are produced in adequate amounts and are useful for the biological growth of plants. In Anaerobic decomposition, intensive reduction of organic matter takes place by putrefaction that is accompanied by disagreeable odors of hydrogen sulfide and reduced organic compounds. The organic compounds decompose by the action of living organisms that do not require air, but use nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients for survival and to develop cell protoplasm, and breakdown the organic nitrogen to organic acids and ammonia. The final product of anaerobic decomposition of organic matter is humus that is subject to aerobic oxidation after being exposed to air. Organisms are crucial in the decomposition of dead organic matter as they release the nutrients tied in them. Organic fertilizers are essential as they add nutrients to the soil at a rate higher than weathering or gradual addition of organic matter from natural vegetation.

As soils have differently drainage rate the percolation of water into the soil is at different rates. Sandy soils are well drained thus allow quick percolation of water after irrigation or rain, whereas, clay soils are poorly drained therefore water percolates slowly, and the soil holds nutrients into the surface. As the water percolates through the soil, it transports the nutrients to the surface to the plant roots. The use of dead organic matter in farming is good for improving soil properties because organic matter in the ground assists in enhancing the water-holding capacity, increases soil aeration and also makes the soil less susceptible to erosion and leaching. There are various ways to improve the percolation rate of water and organic nutrients into the soil. One effective technique is composting that amends the soil consequently improving the soil texture. A good soil texture allows for percolation of air and water and also increases water retention. Leveling the farmland is suitable in minimizing soil erosion consequently allowing for downward movement of water and organic nutrients.

References

Asakawa, B., & Asakawa, S. (2013). California Getting Started Garden Guide: Grow the Best Flowers, Shrubs, Trees, Vines & Groundcovers. Cool Springs Press.

Chesworth, W. (Ed.). (2008). Encyclopedia of soil science.

Lal, R. (2006). Encyclopedia of soil science (Vol. 2). CRC Press.

Maier, R. M., Pepper, I. L., & Gerba, C. P. (2009). Environmental microbiology (Vol. 397). Academic press.

Pawłowska, M. (2014). Mitigation of landfill gas emissions. CRC Press.

Rathakrishnan, T. (2009). Traditional Agricultural Practices: Applications & Technical Implementations. New India Publishing.

Sherry Roberts is the author of this paper. A senior editor at MeldaResearch.Com in write my essay online if you need a similar paper you can place your order from write my essay for me services.

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