Major Components for Maintaining Soil Fertility

In recent decades, there has been a change in how farmers are expanding their knowledge, especially in relation to Soil Fertility With Organic Fertilizers for crop growth. In this article, soil fertility will be discussed.

Fertile soil is a combination of well-balanced minerals, microbial life, organic matter, water and good aeration. The soil is at its healthiest when it gets sufficient water and oxygen, and the nutrients are balanced and present in adequate quantities. It is crucial to maintain organic matter content in the soil in order for it to remain productive and healthy. Now, let’s look deeper into the components of the soil needed to maintain soil fertility.

Components of fertile soil:

Fitochem believes that developing a more comprehensive approach towards soil fertility consists of four main aspects, which are all the essential components that generate quality soil:

1.- Soil Structure

2.- Organic matter (humic substances, specifically fulvic acids as the unique part of the humus totally soluble in all pH media) 

3.- Soil Nutrient Availability

4.- Soil Chemistry

With the rise of intensive farming and many other crops, the effective management of these four components has become vital for sustained production and consistent yields. So, now let’s understand these components: 

1.- Soil Structure

Soil structure is an arrangement of soil parts named soil aggregates. An aggregate consists of solid parts such as sand particles, clay, and silt. Due to the availability of various types of soil structure, soil textures also vary, which further affects performance conditions like resistance to erosion, aeration, water infiltration, and retention. The key practices to protect soil structure includes minimized handling, avoiding the use of sodium salts, and eliminating soil screening.

2.- Organic matter

Organic matter is produced from plants at different stages of decomposition. Soil organic material create a mineral and nutrient-rich ecosystem with microorganisms that breath back life into the soil. The components of soil organics are beneficial for bacteria, algae, fungi, actinomycetes, arthropods, and nematodes, among others.

3.- Soil Nutrient Availability

Soil nutrient availability is a blend of soil fertility in regards to micro and macronutrient levels, and also the ability of soil to retain those nutrients. It is crucial to note that the availability of some of the plant nutrients is largely affected by soil pH ranges and variations. Fulvic acids participate in a similar way to clays, as a place of ionic exchange of cations and anions, resulting in the formation of organic-mineral compounds with greater availability.

4.- Soil Chemistry

Soil chemistry studies the interactions between organic and inorganic compounds in the soil and their relationship with nutrient availability, as well as the chemical characteristics of the soil. It is affected by certain environmental factors, mineral composition, and organic matter. The other parameters like nutrient content, acidity, and texture of the soil affect the kind of crop that can grow in it. It is important to keep in mind that the nutrient content of soil often doesn’t keep up with the need for high yield and productivity inflicted by modern agriculture. Hence, chemical or natural fertilizers are usually added to boost fertility and production.

Mixing all these mineral elements with our  fulvic acids will increase their use, making the development and growth of plants more efficient . This results in an increase in the quality and quantity of crops produced.

Fitochem offers OMRI Certified Organic Products and Soil Improvers with the highest quality, supported by scientific studies.

We are the solution in nutrition, with products that will help enabling Organic Fertilization of the Soil, stabilizing soil chemistry, increasing the availability of nutrients and building a soil structure favorable to your crops.