Quick Facts...
- Organic materials usually are added to soils to provide such plant nutrients as nitrogen and to improve the physical nature of the soil.
- Organic residues that have a low nitrogen content can cause nitrogen deficiencies in plants as microorganisms decompose the organic compounds.
- Inorganic nitrogen must be added with some organic fertilizers to prevent nitrogen deficiencies in Crops.
Crop residues and organic wastes commonly are added to soils as sources of plant nutrients and to improve the physical properties of the soil. These materials do not contain the same quantity of nutrients. In fact, incorporating some organic materials into the soil can induce nitrogen deficiencies in plants. The composition of the added material determines whether nitrogen is released for plant growth or tied up in an unavailable form by the microorganisms that decompose the organic fertilizers.
