Interest in organics has been growing in recent years as people strive to do the right thing for the environment and their families. But landscape companies are struggling to provide a cost-effective, organic alternative to traditional services such as fertilization. Unfortunately, accomplishing this goal is complicated more by confusion over just what constitutes an “organic” fertilizer.
According to USDA’s National Organic Program for agricultural crops (NOP), only natural organics, which are products derived from plants or animals or other naturally derived chemicals can be considered in their program. However, according to the Association of American Plant Food Control Officers (AAPFCO) – the scientists who register fertilizer in each state – the definition of an organic fertilizer is, “A material containing carbon and one or more elements, other than hydrogen and oxygen, which are essential for plant growth.”
While naturally derived fertilizers such as manure, turkey litter and alfalfa pellets are organic, the science of organic is the science of carbon, not the science of natural.
The confusion arose because, until the early 19th century, it was common thought that only organisms had the ability to bond carbon to carbon or other elements to make polymers into chains and ring structures. It was believed that the covalent bonding of carbon required some type of life force (or “essence”) and these compounds were labeled “organic” to indicate their origin. In 1828, Friedrich Wohler synthesized the carbon compound, urea, from inorganic (i.e., lifeless) components. Urea is naturally derived from urine. Although urea is not considered truly organic, this breakthrough initiated the science of organics and dispelled the theory that organic compounds were fundamentally different from those that were inorganic.
Today, organic chemicals are not only produced synthetically but also are found in other parts of the solar system where life does not exist. Carbon elements, like other elements heavier than hydrogen, are produced in the nuclear cauldrons of stars and were accumulated in our solar system during its formation. For all practical purposes, the amount of carbon on Earth remains fixed - it can neither be created nor destroyed, and only recycled. It’s carbon, then, that gives the unique characteristics to organic compounds, not whether the compound was derived naturally or synthetically.
The number of carbons in the polymer, how they’re arranged and the other elements and their attachment to carbon determines the specific characteristic of each organic chemical. While it’s commonly thought that all naturally derived organic fertilizers will “feed the plant and feed the soil,” that is not necessarily the case. Natural organics are often very low in plant nutrient value and the carbon may – or may not – be used as an energy source by microorganisms. Organic matter might be decomposed by microorganisms or hydrolyzed by water, depending upon the structure. As microorganisms decompose organic matter, they secrete enzymes and other compounds that directly improve plant health, and sticky substances that glue soil particles together, improving soil granulation and air and water movement in the soil. Although synthesized organic fertilizers usually have a higher nutrient value than their natural counterparts, it’s again the structure that determines whether or not the carbon will result in an increase in microbial population.
The ability of carbon to form covalent bonds with other carbon atoms in long chains and rings is the unique basis for life on Earth. It’s also the basis for all organic chemistry. For a fertilizer to be used as an energy source by microorganisms, it must contain carbon, which could increase the population of microorganisms in the soil. Microbial secretions benefit plant health and aggregate soil particles, resulting in improved soil structure. But some carbon-containing fertilizers are hydrolyzed, and they have no effect on soil structure. A combination of the appropriate natural and synthesized organic fertilizers can provide the desired organic effect (i.e., feed the plant, feed the soil) for lawns and landscape plants in a cost-effective manner. It’s time we dispel the romantic myths of the 19th century and work toward an organic fertilizer solution that provides our clients and the environment with real – not perceived – benefits.
According to USDA’s National Organic Program for agricultural crops (NOP), only natural organics, which are products derived from plants or animals or other naturally derived chemicals can be considered in their program. However, according to the Association of American Plant Food Control Officers (AAPFCO) – the scientists who register fertilizer in each state – the definition of an organic fertilizer is, “A material containing carbon and one or more elements, other than hydrogen and oxygen, which are essential for plant growth.”
While naturally derived fertilizers such as manure, turkey litter and alfalfa pellets are organic, the science of organic is the science of carbon, not the science of natural.
The confusion arose because, until the early 19th century, it was common thought that only organisms had the ability to bond carbon to carbon or other elements to make polymers into chains and ring structures. It was believed that the covalent bonding of carbon required some type of life force (or “essence”) and these compounds were labeled “organic” to indicate their origin. In 1828, Friedrich Wohler synthesized the carbon compound, urea, from inorganic (i.e., lifeless) components. Urea is naturally derived from urine. Although urea is not considered truly organic, this breakthrough initiated the science of organics and dispelled the theory that organic compounds were fundamentally different from those that were inorganic.
Today, organic chemicals are not only produced synthetically but also are found in other parts of the solar system where life does not exist. Carbon elements, like other elements heavier than hydrogen, are produced in the nuclear cauldrons of stars and were accumulated in our solar system during its formation. For all practical purposes, the amount of carbon on Earth remains fixed - it can neither be created nor destroyed, and only recycled. It’s carbon, then, that gives the unique characteristics to organic compounds, not whether the compound was derived naturally or synthetically.
The number of carbons in the polymer, how they’re arranged and the other elements and their attachment to carbon determines the specific characteristic of each organic chemical. While it’s commonly thought that all naturally derived organic fertilizers will “feed the plant and feed the soil,” that is not necessarily the case. Natural organics are often very low in plant nutrient value and the carbon may – or may not – be used as an energy source by microorganisms. Organic matter might be decomposed by microorganisms or hydrolyzed by water, depending upon the structure. As microorganisms decompose organic matter, they secrete enzymes and other compounds that directly improve plant health, and sticky substances that glue soil particles together, improving soil granulation and air and water movement in the soil. Although synthesized organic fertilizers usually have a higher nutrient value than their natural counterparts, it’s again the structure that determines whether or not the carbon will result in an increase in microbial population.
The ability of carbon to form covalent bonds with other carbon atoms in long chains and rings is the unique basis for life on Earth. It’s also the basis for all organic chemistry. For a fertilizer to be used as an energy source by microorganisms, it must contain carbon, which could increase the population of microorganisms in the soil. Microbial secretions benefit plant health and aggregate soil particles, resulting in improved soil structure. But some carbon-containing fertilizers are hydrolyzed, and they have no effect on soil structure. A combination of the appropriate natural and synthesized organic fertilizers can provide the desired organic effect (i.e., feed the plant, feed the soil) for lawns and landscape plants in a cost-effective manner. It’s time we dispel the romantic myths of the 19th century and work toward an organic fertilizer solution that provides our clients and the environment with real – not perceived – benefits.
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