How Much Chemical Fertilizer Does One Ton of Organic Fertilizer Actually Replace? Here Are the Real Data! (Including Types, Functions and Application Precautions of Organic Fertilizer)

Many farmer friends are not quite clear: if one ton of organic fertilizer is applied to the field, how much chemical fertilizer does it equal? Actually, this question probably confuses everyone. For many years, this has been a murky account that could not be figured out. But now, with detailed data available, when applying organic fertilizer again, there is something to refer to.

1 ton of human feces and urine is equivalent to 25-40 kg of ammonium sulfate, 13-25 kg of superphosphate, and 4-6 kg of potassium sulfate.

1 ton of pig manure and urine is equivalent to 17 kg of ammonium sulfate, 21 kg of superphosphate, and 10 kg of potassium sulfate.

1 ton of cow manure is equivalent to 16 kg of ammonium sulfate, 16 kg of superphosphate, and 3 kg of potassium sulfate.

1 ton of horse manure is equivalent to 28 kg of ammonium sulfate, 19 kg of superphosphate, and 5 kg of potassium sulfate.

1 ton of sheep manure is equivalent to 33 kg of ammonium sulfate, 31 kg of superphosphate, and 5 kg of potassium sulfate.

1 ton of chicken and duck manure is equivalent to 55-82 kg of ammonium sulfate, 88-96 kg of superphosphate, and 12-17 kg of potassium sulfate.

1 ton of rabbit manure is equivalent to 86 kg of ammonium sulfate, 184 kg of superphosphate, and 20 kg of potassium sulfate.

1 ton of pig barnyard manure is equivalent to 23 kg of ammonium sulfate, 12 kg of superphosphate, and 12 kg of potassium sulfate.

1 ton of cattle barnyard manure is equivalent to 17 kg of ammonium sulfate, 10 kg of superphosphate, and 8 kg of potassium sulfate.

1 ton of ordinary compost is equivalent to 20-25 kg of ammonium sulfate, 11-16 kg of superphosphate, and 9-14 kg of potassium sulfate.

1 ton of old wall soil is equivalent to 9.5 kg of ammonium sulfate, 28 kg of superphosphate, and 16 kg of potassium sulfate.

1 ton of plant ash is equivalent to 219 kg of superphosphate and 150 kg of potassium sulfate.

1 ton of soybean cake is equivalent to 350 kg of ammonium sulfate, 83 kg of superphosphate, and 43 kg of potassium sulfate.

1 ton of peanut cake is equivalent to 316 kg of ammonium sulfate, 73 kg of superphosphate, and 27 kg of potassium sulfate.

1 ton of cottonseed cake is equivalent to 171 kg of ammonium sulfate, 102 kg of superphosphate, and 19 kg of potassium sulfate.

Types, Functions and Application Precautions of Organic Fertilizer

Organic fertilizer is not easily soluble in water and decomposes slowly, making it a slow-release fertilizer. Its composition is mainly organic matter, such as cellulose, hemicellulose, fats, proteins, amino acids and humic acid, etc.; it also contains various mineral nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur and trace elements. It is nutrient-rich and is a complete fertilizer.

I. Types of Organic Fertilizer

Considering fertilizer source, properties, composting method and prospects, organic fertilizers can be divided into several major categories: farmyard manure, green manure, straw manure, and commercial organic fertilizer, etc. In addition, grass peat, peat, pond (river) mud and river garbage are also important sources of organic fertilizer.

II. Functions of Organic Fertilizer

III. Commonly Used Organic Fertilizers and Application Precautions

1. Human feces and urine

It is an excellent organic fertilizer, with a faster fertilizer effect than general organic fertilizers, and is a quick-acting fertilizer among organic fertilizers. Fresh human feces and urine are neutral, contain more nitrogen but less phosphorus and potassium, and should be applied together with phosphorus and potassium fertilizers.

Precautions:

Long-term single use will destroy soil structure and cause soil compaction. Therefore, it must be applied after fermentation and decomposition; generally it takes 10~15 days of storage to decompose.

The manure pit used for storage should be chosen in a relatively shady place, must not leak water, and should have a cover (to prevent ammonia volatilization); adding 2~3% superphosphate can play a role in fixing nitrogen and preserving fertilizer, and can also supplement phosphorus to improve fertilizer quality.

2. Barnyard manure

It is made from livestock manure and urine, food residues and fibrous bedding materials through fermentation and decomposition. It is rich in organic matter, generally reaching 15%, and can reach as high as 30%.

Precautions:

Fresh barnyard manure contains hard-to-decompose cellulose, lignin, etc., has a relatively high carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, and most of the nitrogen is in organic form. If fresh barnyard manure is used directly, it will compete with crops for fertilizer because microorganisms absorb soil nutrients and water during decomposition.

3. Cake fertilizer

Also called oil cake (cake residue), it is the residue remaining after oil is extracted from oil-containing seeds; when used as fertilizer it becomes cake fertilizer, and it is rich in nutrients. Cake fertilizer is the best high-quality organic fertilizer for fruit trees, mainly used as base fertilizer, and is often mixed with compost and barnyard manure as base fertilizer; it can also be used as topdressing.

Precautions:

When used as topdressing, it can only be used after decomposition; for direct application, the cake fertilizer should be fully crushed and applied in furrows, and kept slightly away from the root system to avoid burning the roots from the heat generated during fermentation.

4. Composted and waterlogged manure

Fertilizer made by mixing straw, weeds, green manure, peat, garbage and human and livestock manure and urine as raw materials, and then composting or waterlogging them in a certain way.

Precautions:

High-temperature compost has higher nutrient content and organic matter than ordinary compost.

5. Green manure

It is an important fertilizer source for producers. Green manure crops in orchards are mainly leguminous crops, whose rhizobia have nitrogen-fixing ability. Interplanting green manure has the effects of a wide fertilizer source, convenient application, saving labor, self-supplying fertilizer, improving soil and increasing fertility.

6. Straw manure

In addition to containing organic matter such as cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and protein, straw also contains various elements necessary for crops; it can promote soil microbial activity and the improvement of comprehensive soil fertility, and reduce the amount of chemical fertilizer applied.

7. Commercial organic fertilizer

Fertilizer made from livestock and poultry manure, animal and plant residues and other organic-rich by-product resources as the main raw materials, through fermentation and decomposition. There are many types of commercial organic fertilizer, and their performance characteristics are also different.