Only decomposed livestock manure can be called organic fertilizer. Undecomposed livestock manure can be called garbage or harmful fertilizer. So how can we turn manure into organic fertilizer? What are the harms of undecomposed organic fertilizer to fruits and vegetables? Let’s discuss it together.
During the composting process, the poultry and livestock manure, through the action of microorganisms, turns the organic matter that is difficult to be used by crops into nutrients that are easy to be absorbed by crops, which can be called organic fertilizer. The high temperature of about 70℃ generated during the composting process can kill most pathogens and insect eggs, basically achieving harmlessness.
Ⅰ. The possible harm caused by the application of uncomposted organic fertilizer to fruits and vegetables. We often see in rural areas that many vegetable and fruit farmers apply uncomposted organic fertilizer directly to the land. What kind of harm will this cause?
root burn and seedling burn
When unfermented livestock and poultry manure is applied to fruit and vegetable gardens, it cannot be directly absorbed and utilized by the roots of plants due to incomplete fermentation, and “secondary fermentation” will occur. When the fermentation conditions are met, the raw manure will ferment under the activity of microorganisms. When the fermentation site is close to the roots or the crop plants are small, the heat generated by the fermentation will affect the growth of crops, causing “root burn and seedling burn”, and in severe cases, it will lead to plant death.
Breeding of pests and diseases
Feces contain bacteria and pests such as E. coli and nematodes. Direct use will lead to the spread of pests and diseases, causing disease in crops, and will also affect the health of people who eat agricultural products. When uncomposted organic matter ferments in the soil, it is easy to breed bacteria and pests, leading to the occurrence of plant diseases and pests. For example, citrus fruit flies have a certain relationship with the application of manure, and it also provides a place for overwintering pests such as white grubs and pear flower bugs.
Produces toxic gas and lacks oxygen
Unrotted feces will produce harmful gases such as methane and ammonia during the decomposition process, causing acid damage to the soil and damage to plant roots. At the same time, the decomposition process will also consume oxygen in the soil, causing the soil to be in an oxygen-deficient state. In this oxygen-deficient state, the growth of plants will be inhibited to a certain extent.
Ⅱ. The harm caused by the application of uncomposted chicken manure to fruits and vegetables. Chicken manure is the most nutritious and best kind of manure among livestock manure, but if it is applied to fruit and vegetable gardens when it is not composted, it will also cause harm, and may be more harmful than other manure.
Organic acid and ammonia poisoning
Chicken manure applied directly to the ground will produce organic acid, which will affect seed germination, and in severe cases, it will cause rotten seeds and rotten buds, and poor growth of seedlings and short plants. Applying too much uncomposted chicken manure during the adult stage can make the leaves of the plants turn yellow from top to bottom, as if they lack certain elements.
Chicken manure is a strong acid fertilizer (PH value 3.6-4.7), but the most suitable soil pH for citrus growth is 5.5-6.5. If acidic chicken manure is applied to citrus orchards, it will be like “adding insult to injury”, causing root rot, black roots, yellow leaves, premature aging, and chlorosis of fruit trees. In severe cases, it will lead to the death of citrus plants.
For example, ammonia is easily produced in greenhouses, which can harm the leaves of tomatoes, melons, etc. Initially, irregular, chlorotic or water-soaked spots of varying sizes appear on the front of the leaves, which then turn into light brown to yellow-white and dry up. When the flowers are affected, the calyx and petals become water-soaked, and then turn brown and dry up.
Harm of seed flies
Adult seed flies have the habit of laying eggs in uncomposted feces. Therefore, the more uncomposted chicken manure is applied, the more serious the damage caused by seed fly larvae. The larvae harm the budding seeds and young stems, preventing the seeds from germinating and emerging from the soil; they can also drill into the roots or stems, causing malnutrition in the aboveground parts; the wounds caused by the damage are easy to cause the invasion of pathogenic microorganisms, causing the occurrence of infectious diseases and causing greater losses.
Saltified soil
If chicken manure is used year after year, a large amount of sodium chloride salt will remain in the soil. On average, every 6 cubic meters of chicken manure contains about 40 kilograms of salt, and 10 kilograms of salt per mu of land has seriously restricted the permeability and activity of the soil, which can solidify trace elements such as phosphorus, potassium fertilizer, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, boron and manganese, resulting in abnormal plant growth, sparse flower buds, and poor fruit production, which significantly restricts the improvement of crop yield and quality.
Breeding of viral diseases
As chicken manure is an extremely acidic substance, it will cause chemical trauma and severe damage to the stem base and root tissues of plants. The large number of viral pathogens carried by chicken manure will cause outbreaks of diseases under suitable humidity and temperature conditions, leading to the spread of pests and diseases, breeding viral diseases, root rot, blight and other diseases, causing plants to wilt, wither, stunt seedlings, and even die. Some plants are infected with viral diseases, blight, stem base rot, root rot, bacterial wilt, etc., which are the most obvious sequelae of using chicken manure.
Excessive heavy metals
Unfermented fresh chicken manure contains a large amount of heavy metals such as copper, mercury, chromium, cadmium, lead, arsenic, and more hormone residues, which will cause excessive heavy metals in agricultural products, and these heavy metals are difficult to degrade and replace, which poses a hidden danger to food safety and the sustainable development of the agricultural industry.
Ⅲ. Fermented chicken manure and livestock manure can not only be used for fruits and vegetables, but also is a rare good fertilizer with very rich nutrients and long-lasting fertilizer effect. It is of great help to the growth of crops, to promote the increase of crop production and income, and to increase farmers’ income.
Applying organic fertilizer in autumn
can quickly compensate for the large amount of nutrients consumed by plant growth and fruiting. In addition to nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, organic fertilizer also contains trace elements such as boron, zinc, iron, magnesium and molybdenum, which can provide comprehensive nutrients for plants for a long time.
After organic fertilizer is applied to the soil
it is effectively decomposed and transformed into effective ingredients that can be absorbed by plant roots. In addition, various organic acids in organic fertilizers and calcium, magnesium, iron and other ions can combine to form stable complexes, which can reduce the fixation of mineral nutrients.
After organic fertilizer is decomposed
it can provide energy and nutrients for soil microorganisms, promote microbial reproduction, and then accelerate the decomposition of organic matter, enriching the nutrients in the soil. After it is applied to the soil, it can improve the soil structure, regulate the water, fertilizer, gas and heat conditions of the soil, and is conducive to the healthy growth of plants.
After organic fertilizer is decomposed
it can make the soil tightly integrated, enhance the soil’s fertilizer retention and supply, and improve the plant’s ability to resist cold, drought and acid and alkali. If combined with the application of some quick-acting fertilizers, it is beneficial to enrich the plant’s flower buds and lay a solid foundation for increasing the flowering and fruiting rates next year.