EFFECT OF INORGANIC FERTILIZER ON SOIL HEALTH

A. Soil Health
Soil health, also referred to as soil quality, is defined as the continued capacity
of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans.
This definition speaks to the importance of managing soils so they are sustainable for
future generations. To do this, we need to remember that soil contains living organisms
that when provided the basic necessities of life - food, shelter, and water - perform
functions required to produce food and fiber.
Only "living" things can have health, so viewing soil as a living ecosystem
reflects a fundamental shift in the way we care for our nation's soils. Soil isnt an inert
growing medium, but rather is teaming with billions of bacteria, fungi, and other
microbes that are the foundation of an elegant symbiotic ecosystem. Soil is an
ecosystem that can be managed to provide nutrients for plant growth, absorb and hold
rainwater for use during dryer periods, filter and buffer potential pollutants from leaving
our fields, serve as a firm foundation for agricultural activities, and provide habitat for
soil microbes to flourish and diversify to keep the ecosystem running smoothly.
Healthy soil gives us clean air and water, bountiful crops and forests, productive
grazing lands, diverse wildlife, and beautiful landscapes. Soil does all this by
performing five essential functions:
Regulating water - Soil helps control where rain, snowmelt, and irrigation water
goes. Water and dissolved solutes flow over the land or into and through the soil.
Sustaining plant and animal life - The diversity and productivity of living things
depends on soil.
Filtering and buffering potential pollutants - The minerals and microbes in soil are
responsible for filtering, buffering, degrading, immobilizing, and detoxifying
organic and inorganic materials, including industrial and municipal by-products
and atmospheric deposits.
Cycling nutrients - Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and many other nutrients are
stored, transformed, and cycled in the soil.
Physical stability and support - Soil structure provides a medium for plant roots.
Soils also provide support for human structures and protection for archeological
treasures.
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/soils/health/
B. Inorganic Fertilizer vs. Organic Fertilizer
Both organic and inorganic fertilizers provide plants with the nutrients needed
to grow healthy and strong. However, each contains different ingredients and supplies
these nutrients in different ways. Organic fertilizers work over time to create a healthy
growing environment, while inorganic fertilizers provide rapid nutrition. Determining
which is better for your plants depends largely on the needs of your plants and your
preferences in terms of cost and environmental impact.
1. Composition
Fertilizers supplement the soil with macronutrients needed in large amounts:
nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. However, organic and inorganic fertilizers
do so via different materials. Organic fertilizers contain only plant- or animal-based
materials that are either a byproduct or end product of naturally occurring
processes, such as manures, leaves, and compost. Inorganic fertilizer, also referred
to as synthetic fertilizer, is manufactured artificially and contains minerals or
synthetic chemicals. For example, synthetic nitrogen fertilizers are typically made
from petroleum or natural gas. Phosphorus, potassium and other trace elements in
inorganic fertilizers are often mined from the earth. Balanced inorganic fertilizers,
high in all three macronutrients, commonly include products like ammonium
nitrate, ammonium sulfate, potassium chloride (potash), triple superphosphate, and
magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts).
2. Nutrient Availability
Organic fertilizers release nutrients only when the soil is warm and moist, which
tends to correspond with your plants times of greatest need. However, they rely
on soil organisms to break down organic matter, so nutrients are released more
slowly than they are from inorganic fertilizers. This slow-release method reduces
the risk of nutrient leaching, but it takes time to supply nutrients to plants. In
contrast, inorganic fertilizers provide this nutrition in plant-ready form
immediately. However, the concentration of nutrients increases the risk of burning
the plant, and the rapid release of nutrients may leach them deeply into the soil and
water table where plants can't access them.
3. Application
The nutrients and exact elements available from an organic fertilizer, such as
manure or compost, can only be guessed at without laboratory testing. This means
youre giving an inexact application that may or may not meet your plants needs.
 By comparison, applying inorganic fertilizers is simple, because the amount of a
given element and the rate of application are known.
4. Cost
Organic fertilizers often cost significantly more than inorganic fertilizers, but
over time, this extra cost may be outweighed by the benefits it provides. Organic
fertilizers continue to improve the soil long after the plants have taken the nutrients
they need. Therefore, the longer your soil is fed with organic fertilizers, the better
its composition and texture. So, while inorganic fertilizer is cheaper in the short
term, it adds less to the soil in the long term.
5. Environmental Impacts
Inorganic fertilizers are immediately available to your plants, but they are
subject to leaching, a process that occurs when fertilizers are washed by rain or
irrigation water below the level of plant roots. Heavy applications can burn your
plants and build up toxic salt concentrations in the soil, which can create chemical
imbalances. Organic fertilizer may also build up concentrations of some nutrients,
but buildup of toxicity is unlikely as long as the organic material is able to fully
decompose. In addition, because organic fertilizers are made from natural sources,
only limited amounts of fossil fuels are used in production. This means greenhouse
gas released into the atmosphere is lower in organic fertilizer production than it is
in inorganic fertilizer production.
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/inorganic-fertilizer-vs-organic-fertilizer-
39528.html
C. Difference Between Fertilize and Healthy Soil
D. Kinds of Soil Damage by Inorganic Fertilizer
1. Salt Accumulation
Repeated applications of inorganic fertilizer can lead to the buildup of salt in
your soil. Salt accumulation in the soil forces your plants to expend more energy to
draw water from the soil and can cause them to appear wilted or dried out. Soils
with an excessive concentration of salt have a white crusty surface and can become
compacted. Plants that are sensitive to high salinity soils often show the ill effects
of salt accumulation before the salt becomes visible on the surface.
2. Runoff
Most organic fertilizers are water-soluble and can wash away if there is rainfall
shortly after they are applied. Fertilizers that wash away during a heavy rainfall can
 pollute streams, ponds and other bodies of open water. Storm water runoff laden
with inorganic fertilizers can cause algae and other aquatic plants in the water to
grow excessively. In extreme cases, the overgrowth of plant life can lead to the
death of all plant and animal life growing in the polluted water source.
3. Plant Damage
Incorrectly applied inorganic fertilizers can damage the plants that they are
supposed to feed. Fertilizer that comes in contact with the leaves of your plants can
cause leaf scorching if the leaves of the plant are wet. Over applying inorganic
fertilizers can also damage your plants. Common symptoms of over fertilization
include decreased growth, defoliation, wilting or plant death in extreme cases.
4. Leaching
In sandy soils, drainage ditches and other areas where large volumes of water
percolate through the soil, inorganic fertilizers can leach away from the root zone
of the plant. Inorganic fertilizers that leach into the soil below the root systems of
your plants are wasted since they are inaccessible to your plants.
5. Application
Inorganic fertilizers that are spread over the surface of the soil can cause
phosphorous and potassium to build up on the surface of the soil. Nutrients on the
surface of the soil are unavailable to the roots of your plants until they are tilled into
the soil; however, disturbing the soil around established plants can damage the root
systems of your plants. Fertilizers that accumulate on the surface of the soil can
decrease soil pH within the upper 2 to 3 inches of the soil.
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