Organic products fertilizers

One excretory organic product of particular interest and importance, discovered on islands off the coast of Peru by Alexander von Humboldt in 1802, was guano. He studied this product, which became a widely exploited fertilizer material that was transported and sold around the world [11],... 

The final product contains significant quantities of the fertilizer nutrients N, P and K. The nitrogen content is close to 4% and the phosphorus and organic material contents are high, making an agriculturally useful organic product. 

Organic production systems are complex out of necessity, since soil fertility and plant protection are provided by applying the principles of ecology and lessons from natural ecosystems. It is this complexity, in part, that makes the need for unique education and training opportunities so important for organic farmers. In addition, the lack of institutional support with information from universities and government agencies in most countries makes this a valuable area to explore and for which to seek appropriate educational options. 

The risk of crop failure due to drought or pest damage is lower in organic production, mainly due to higher diversity and improved overall soil fertility (soil structure, biological activity etc.). 

The motivations for organic production include concerns about the economy, the environment, and food safety. Although all organic farmers avoid synthetic chemicals in their operations, they differ in how they achieve the ideal system. Organic farmers span the spectrum some completely eschew external inputs and create on-farm sources of compost for fertilization and encourage the activity of beneficial insects... 

Soil testing is a widely used means of finding out the specific properties and nutrient content of a soil and monitoring them over a period of time (see Chapter 2 Planning and setting up an organic production unit). A fertilizer programme can be drawn up on the basis of the results of soil analysis. 

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