Need of Fertilizers in Plants
Exploiting a plot amounts to drawing nutrients from the soil to feed the plants. However, you should know that the soil does not completely self-regenerate between harvests and regeneration depends on the type of crop. Some plants and vegetables require more minerals and water than others. This is where fertilizers come into play.
Green Manure
Chemical land fertilization was widely adopted with the industrialization of the agricultural sector. Chemical fertilizers were increasingly used to the point of generating dependence on the part of farmers. However, there are ways to allow your soil to regenerate, namely the use of green manure. This technique comes from agroecological principles and has proven itself in the fields. Green manures allow farmers to reduce the use of chemical inputs in fields and help the soil to regenerate naturally.
Examples of Green Manure
The most common organic fertilizers are barley, buckwheat, mustard, rapeseed, and oats. These plants protect the soil against weeds and improve its structure. They are temporary plants that protect and enrich the soil. Some plants have the ability to store nitrogen in their roots, which they draw from the air. When these roots decompose, they release nitrogen into the soil. Other plants turn into humus as they decompose. Humus is a ferment, a “booster” for soil activity, and helps it regain its fertility.
How to use Green Manure?
Sow the seeds after harvest. Once the plants have grown, pull them out two weeks before planting seeds for your main crop. The plants can be left where they are or crushed and mixed with the top two centimeters of soil so that organisms degrade them quickly. The decomposition of plants will fertilize the earth. This is how chemical fertilizers can be reduced and planters can grow their plants without them.
