Differences And Effects Of Natural And Synthetic Fertilizers :: essays research papers

Differences and Effects of Natural and Synthetic FertilizersAt the core of the growth and germination of plants lie the nutrients theyreceive from the soil. The nutrients required for growth argon classified intotwo groupings, macronutirents and micronutrients. Macronutrients ar those thatare needed in very large amounts, and whose absence can do a great harm to the ontogeny of the plant life. These nutrients include calcium, nitrogen,phosphorus, and potassium, and are very sparse in near soils, making them theprimary ingredients in most fertilizers. The other, more common macronutrientsare called tributary nutrients, as they are not of as much importance.Micronutrients, the other classification, consist of all the other elements andcompounds required for sufficient growth, such as iron, boron, manganese, copper,zinc, molybdenum and chlorine. In some cases, these nutrients are found to bemissing in soils, but it is extremely uncommon.     As plants need to ret rieve all of their nutrients from the soil, manymethods have been create in order to find ways to improve or change the soilto suit the plants needs. Soil, in science as well as in common gardening,must undergo detailed inspection, to detect such things as the pH of the soil.A soil with a pH above 7.0 is called an alkaline soil, and pass on commonly killplants. Mineral content, as mentioned above, is also a concern, and must beclearly monitored. After inspection, it is common for minor organic materialsoutside fertilizers to be applied, such as peat moss, ground bark, or leaf mold.It is after these steps that fertilization must occur, leading to a debate whichhas plagued gardeners and scientists alike organic or chemical?     Fertilizers, in both natural and synthetic breeds, are carriers of theprimary and secondary nutrients that are found less often in even the mostfertile soils. Fertilizers are mixtures that are mixed or applied to soil, thusgreatly increasi ng its potency and maximizing plant growth. As mentioned before,however, there are both natural and inorganic fertilizers, all with varyingeffects. The compositional differences of these types are great, indeed.Natural fertilizers, as one would expect, are totally organic, and usually comefrom the mud of physicals. These are the fertilizers that produced the forestsof the world, among much other plant life in ecosystems, and have been usedsince ancient times. Chemical fertilizers are a more recent invention,consisting of cautiously concentrated mixtures of nutrients, formulated for quickgrowth. These can take many forms, from powder, to "dirt", to even tablets     Natural fertilizers, as mentioned above, include the various types ofmanure and other animal waste products, as well as compost, which is a mixture