Organic Farming - Organic Farming Fertilization
What is Organic Farming? | Organic
Farming Overview | Organic
Farming Methods | Organic
Farming Fertilization
Organic Farming Pest Control | Organic
Farming and Crop Planning | Organic
Farming and Livestock | Organic
Farming Systems
Organic Farming Fertilization
The central farming activity of fertilization illustrates the differences. Organic farming relies heavily on the natural breakdown of organic matter, using techniques like green manure and composting, to replace nutrients taken from the soil by previous crops. This biological process, driven by microorganisms, allows the natural production of nutrients in the soil throughout the growing season, and is often referred to as feeding the soil to feed the plant. In chemical farming, individual nutrients, like nitrogen, are synthesized in a more or less pure form that plants can use immediately, and applied on a man-made schedule. Each nutrient is defined and addressed separately. Problems that may arise from one action (e.g. too much nitrogen left in the soil) are usually addressed with additional, corrective products and procedures (e.g. using water to wash excess nitrogen out of the soil).
From Wikipedia.