IWMP-2 - Commissionerate of Rural Development Gujarat State ...

Detailed Project Report IWMP-2
Production System: Organic Manure
Introduction
One major cause of poor crop growth in the tropics is the very low inherent fertility of the soils. The use of chemical Manure to sustain crop productivity on a longterm
basis has not been effective. It often leads to a decline in soil organic matter content, soil acidification and soil physical degradation, which may in turn lead to
increased soil erosion. The use of organic manure has been advocated especially in highly weathered tropical soils.
Organic manure, when properly used, can be a valuable addition to a farming operation’s resource system. It can be an excellent fertilizer and will improve soil
characteristics by adding organic matter. Organic manure may contain a vast array of organisms that add to the biological activity of soils, however, when not
managed with sufficient care, the nutrients and bacteria can be a major source of pollution to watercourses (ditches and streams) and domestic water supplies
(wells and groundwater). Organic fertilizer is the end product obtained by converting various organic wastes such as crop residue, urban wastes, poultry droppings,
animal dung, etc., into a usable fertilizer by a modified aerobic – cum-anaerobic process of composting. Organic fertilizer has advantages which include: high
nutrient content; suitability to a range of crops; fast biodegradability and safety. lization of nutrients, particularly nitrogen.
Organic Fertilizer increases the organic matter content of the soil along with the major and minor organic nutrients. The combined interaction of the nutrient
ingredients in Organic Fertilizer integrates the soil with the full range of nutrients within a relatively short time, and their effects last longer for the standing crop to
benefit directly. By optimally utilizing these nutrients from the soil, crop productivity in the plots treated with Organic Fertilizer greatly increases as reflected in the
high yields and quality of the crops. Organic Fertilizer is therefore unique in its action in stabilizing and enhancing the nutrient status of the soil, and thereby
increasing crop productivity.
By improving overall physical characteristics of the soil and increasing soil organic level, Organic Fertilizer prevents physical compaction of soil, improves soil
aeration and prevents leaching losses. Organic Fertilizer encourages the microbial activities in the soil, increasing thereby the organic matter decomposition,
leading to improved soil productivity. Organic Fertilizer not only releases nitrogen, phosphate and potash in a manner easily absorbed by plants, but interacts very
positively with inorganic Manure as well. This interaction allows better and greater utilization of nutrients. Organic Manure retain a blanket like cover on the soil
thus enabling it to recapture the moisture level and not let it out. Thus it also helps to recover the stress
Gujarat State Watershed Management Agency
122 | P a g e