A Report on the Most suitable Method to Enrich the Soil
I would like to highlight to you that there are three main methods of enriching the soil in the agricultural sector. They are the usage of chemical fertilizers, crop rotation and intercropping methods. Even though there chemical fertilisers are hazardous, I would still recommend you to use chemical fertilisers.
Chemical fertilisers such as ammonium sulphate and ammonium nitrate are widely used in the agricultural sector to enrich the soil and enhance the growth of plants. The use of chemical fertilisers is very popular because it increases yield and it can be used to grow crops throughout the year. Furthermore, the plants are less likely to get diseases and thus we will get high quality crops. However, the disadvantage of chemical fertilisers is it can be hazardous when nitrates get into drinking water. The happens when the rainwater washes nitrates through the soil and it can seep into the underground streams and contaminate our drinking water. It is undeniable that large quantities of nitrates in rivers and lakes can cause the death of fish and other small animals, but this only will happen if we over fertilise the soil. However, this can be countered by regulating the usage of chemical fertilisers. chemical fertilisers are not hazardous and are of less risk if used sparingly and with care.
On the other hand, even though crop rotation and intercropping are natural methods, they are not suitable for our agricultural sector. Crop rotation is a practice of growing series of dissimilar types of crops in the same space in sequential seasons to avoid the build-up of pathogens and pests that often occurs when one species is continuously cropped. Even though crop rotation returns nutrients into the soil, it does not ensure that there will be sufficient nutrition in the soil for healthy plant growth. Although we can vary crops according to the market demand, the yield is low and it is and outdated method. Furthermore, the crop rotation method is not suitable for all types of crops especially if the soil is peat soil. In comparison with chemical fertilisers, crop rotation method is unable to keep up with the growing market demand.
Intercropping is growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same field. Intercropping also helps replenish nutrients in the soil. Unfortunately, careful planning is required, taking into account the soil, climate, crops and varieties. It is particularly important not to have crops competing with each other for physical space, nutrients, water or sunlight. Intercropping farmers are able to grow different crops at the same time and this can be highly profitable, but the disadvantages are that you need to be highly selective in choice of crops to ensure the right nutrients are returned to the soil and that over extraction of nutrients does not take place. Furthermore, intercropping requires a big plot of land for it to be profitable.
In conclusion, using chemical fertilisers still remains my first choice as a method to enrich the soil as it is more affordable, reasonably profitable and capable of supporting consumers' demands. The hazardous effects of chemical fertilisers can be controlled through regulation and careful usage. We can easily rectify this problem by consulting an agronomist who will study the movement of nutrients through the soil, and the amount of nutrients absorbed by the plant's roots, so that we do not over-fertilise the soil.
Reported by,
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Global Research Assistant
