Fertilization (soil)
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Soil Fertilization or Crop Fertilization are methods of improving soil quality with a view towards improving soil fertility. Fertilization improves crop yield and provides additional income and profit for farmers. Plants need various elements in order to grow and people have known for hundreds of years of the need to improve the quality of the soil. Ancient methods varied from placing fish in a hill of corn and rock phosphate to the surface to improve production. As science and understanding has advanced soil testing has become possible as well as methods to improve the soil based on the results of those tests.
Nitrogen is the element in the soil that is most often lacking. Phosphorus and potassium are also needed in substantial amounts. For this reason these three elements are included in commercial fertilizers and the content of each of these items is included on the bags of fertilizer. For example a 10-10-15 fertilizer has 10 percent nitrogen, 10 percent phosphorus and 15 percent potassium. Inorganic fertilizers are generally less expensive and have higher concentrations of nutrients than organic fertilizers.
It is believed that organic agricultural methods are more environmentally friendly and better maintain soil organic matter levels. There are generally accepted scientific studies that support this supposition.[1] Regardless the source, fertilization results in increased unharvested plant biomass left on the soil surface and crop residues remaining in the soil.
Too much of a vital nutrient can be as detrimental as not enough.[2] Fertilizer burn can occur when too much fertilizer is applied, resulting in a drying out of the roots and damage or even death of the plant.[3] Organic fertilizers are just as likely to burn as inorganic fertilizers. If excess nitrogen is present the plants will begin to exude nitrogen from the leafy areas. This is called guttation.
