How can we increase the nutrient value of soil?
There are two ways of increasing the nutrient value of the soil.
- By adding manure
- By adding fertilisers
What is Manure?
Manure can be any animal or plant material used to increase the fertility of the land. Hence, manure is a natural product and is organic in nature. Organic means that it is made up of plant and animal wastes. The leftover vegetable remains and excreta of plants and animals are put together to be decomposed. This decomposed material then enriches the soil. It improves the nutrient structure, helps the soil to retain more water and also helps in drainage of water.
Which are the types of manure?
 There are two types of manure based on the biological material used namely,
- Compost and Vermicompost
- Green manure
Let us look at the types one by one.
- Compost and Vermicompost: Compost material is formed by digging a pit in which all biological waste materials are In this pit, the farm wastes, animal excreta, dung and many other decomposable waste materials are thrown. In some days, this material is decomposed by various organisms and rich organic manure called compost is formed. If earthworms are used to hasten this process of decomposition, we call the resultant manure as vermicompost. Vermicompost pits are commercially viable and they produce high-quality manure.
- Green manure: Prior to the sowing of the crop seeds, some plants like sun hemp or guar are grown and then mulched by ploughing them into the These green plants turn into green manure which helps in enriching the soil in nitrogen and phosphorus.
What is Fertiliser?
It is a chemical substance added to soil or land to increase its fertility. It is an artificially produced man-made supplement.
These chemical supplements in the form of fertilisers can be added into the soil to enhance the nutrient value.
These chemicals, however, come under the high cost production in farming. Apart from being expensive, they can also harm the soil. Excess usage causes soil pollution; prolonged usage leads to the killing of microorganisms in the soil, thus reducing its natural nutrient value. Fertilizers surely help farmers to receive short term benefits but one must be careful to replenish the natural nutrient level of the soil as well.
What is Organic farming?
Organic farming can be defined as an agricultural process that uses biofertilisers and pest control which are derived from animal or plant waste. That is, it helps farmers cultivate their land using only manure.