Difference between compost and fertilizer

Difference between compost and fertilizer

Compost and fertilizer come from different sources

Compost is an organic fertilizer widely used in agricultural production. It is an organic fertilizer made of straw, green grass, green manure, peat, turf, garbage and other wastes as the main raw materials, adding human and animal manure to accumulate and decompose. The nutrient content of compost is closely related to the materials used, the amount and the stacking method. General compost has a high organic matter content of about 15-25% and a small C/N. Composting is usually divided into two categories: ordinary composting and high-temperature composting. Ordinary compost is decomposed under anaerobic conditions. Generally, there is a lot of mixed soil, the compost temperature does not exceed 50 °C, and the mature time is long, which takes 3 to 5 months.
Fertilizers are generally inorganic fertilizers, also known as chemical fertilizers, which are mainly composed of inorganic fertilizers. They mainly include nitrogen fertilizers, phosphate fertilizers, potash fertilizers and other elemental fertilizers and compound fertilizers. Nitrogen fertilizers contain ammonia, ammonium bicarbonate and ammonium sulfate. , ammonium chloride and urea, etc.; phosphate fertilizers include superphosphate, calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer and phosphate rock powder.

Compost and manure work differently

After the compost is used, the effect is very fast, and it is easily absorbed by the plants, but the fertility is not long enough; after the inorganic fertilizer is fertilized, the effect is slower, but the time is longer.

Different impacts on land

The nutrients contained in compost are mostly in an organic state, and it is difficult for crops to use them directly. It is necessary to slowly release a variety of nutrients through the action of microorganisms in order to supply nutrients to crops; the use of too much inorganic fertilizer will cause the land surface to become dry and compact, and It is easy to cause soil erosion, lack of minerals, and cause great damage to the environment, and excessive use will cause the soil to become more barren and lack a lot of nutrients, so many people say that inorganic fertilizers are bad.

Benefits of using a combination of compost and manure:

1. It can improve fertilizer efficiency

Fertilizers such as superphosphate and trace elements are fixed by the soil after being applied to the soil and become ineffective. However, these fertilizers are mixed with organic fertilizers, which reduce the contact surface with the soil and reduce the fixation of nutrients. The organic fertilizer can increase the phosphorus Solubility of the ore.
In addition, chemical fertilizers mixed with compost can also promote the decomposing of organic fertilizers and improve fertilizer efficiency.

2. It can reduce some side effects of chemical fertilizers

The long-term application of physiological acid fertilizer alone will make the soil sour, and produce excessive active iron, active aluminum and other harmful substances, which will cause toxicity to crops.
Mixed application with organic compost can increase the buffering performance of the soil and prevent soil acidification.

3. Can increase the nutritional level of crops

For example, mixing compost with calcium superphosphate or magnesium superphosphate fertilizer can promote the growth of voluntary nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the soil and increase the nitrogen nutrition of crops.

4. It can ensure the timely supply of nutrients

When the straw is returned to the field and the immature organic compost is applied, the addition of chemical nitrogen fertilizer can avoid the slow supply of crops due to early nitrogen deficiency and affect the growth, and the cereal crops need to provide both nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen at the mature stage. Organic compost can do just that.