What Is Organic Fertilizer? A Complete Guide to Its Definition, Types and Application Key Points

Organic fertilizer, commonly known as farmyard manure, refers to fertilizer made from organic materials such as livestock and poultry manure, crop straw, green manure, oilseed cakes, and plant and animal residues as raw materials, after fermentation and decomposition or harmless treatment. It is rich in organic matter and various nutrients, and can both continuously supply crops with nutrition and improve the soil. It is a type of fertilizer widely used in both traditional agriculture and modern ecological cultivation.

Judging from raw materials and processes, there are quite a few types of organic fertilizer. Common ones include manure fertilizers based mainly on livestock and poultry manure, compost types based mainly on decomposed straw and green manure, as well as categories such as oilseed cake fertilizer and biogas fertilizer. Commercial organic fertilizers on the market are mostly processed through factory fermentation, have relatively stable nutrient content, and are convenient to transport and apply; compost made by farmers themselves has a lower cost, but more attention must be paid to the step of thorough decomposition.

The value of organic fertilizer is mainly reflected in two aspects: nourishing the soil and improving quality. It can increase soil organic matter, promote soil microbial activity, make the soil loose and airy, and strengthen its water- and fertilizer-holding capacity. It also helps to some extent in alleviating continuous cropping obstacles in vegetable fields. Long-term rational combined application of organic fertilizer can gradually reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers, and the vegetables and fruits grown often have advantages in taste and quality.

There are also particular points to note when applying organic fertilizer. Un-decomposed manure easily burns roots and seedlings, and may also introduce pathogens and insect eggs, so it must be fully fermented before being put into the field. When used as a base fertilizer, it can be applied deeply in combination with plowing; when used as a topdressing, the amount should be controlled, and attention should be paid to rational combination with chemical fertilizers to avoid nutrient imbalance. Only by mastering the degree of decomposition and the application method can organic fertilizer truly play its role in nourishing the soil and enriching the field.