INTRODUCTION

The global agricultural industry is suffering from a significant crisis that may harm agricultural productivity. Due to the absence of chemical fertilizers, famines may arise. This situation may be partially attributable to the Russo-Ukrainian conflict and may also be due to the high cost of electricity or the shutdown of several fertilizer factories.

In this little post, we will mention numerous natural sources via which a good result may be accomplished in the production of crops to fulfill the demands of the people, which are as follows:

1-Organic fertilizer:

It comprises all agricultural, animal, and bird waste by adding it directly to the farm soil or combining it with other additions such as wheat straw, beans, barley, vegetable residues, rice straw, and others. Other items may also be created, for example:

A - Compost: 

This is made by layering plant and animal waste in a place shaded from the sun's rays, then moistening it with water and stirring it every period (and in this period, the volume of agricultural waste is controlled, as the smaller the waste, the faster it matured, and it would have organic compost from the remains of farm waste, whether agricultural or animal).

To get the best benefits, utilize the compost extract right after it has been extracted rather than storing it or exposing it to heat or the sun.

B- Compost extract: 

Because it includes all the required nutrients for plant development and natural growth stimulants and regulators, it may be utilized in plant nutrition by adding it to irrigation water or spraying it on the plants. Since it includes antibiotics, it also helps to fight fungal and bacterial infections. 

The compost is soaked in water (at a rate of 100 kilograms of compost + 1000 liters of water) for 24 hours to obtain the compost extract. This extract is filtered, and a clear filtrate is utilized while the remaining solid component is applied to the agricultural land. Using the compost extract immediately after extraction is preferable to obtain good results, and it should not be stored or exposed to heat or the sun.

C- Organic acids, such as humic and fulvic acid.

2- Ores of some minerals:

• Potassium may be replaced by feldspar ore.
• Phosphate ore is a phosphorus substitute.
• Dolomite ore is a magnesium substitute.
• Sulfur ore is a sulfur ore that may be used as a replacement for elemental sulfur.
• Magnesium, potassium, calcium, and iron are all found in vermiculite.
• Gypsum ore, or calcium sulfate, contains approximately 52% calcium.
• Bentonite ore (a clay mineral) includes potassium, magnesium, calcium, and iron silicates. These are critical for sandy soils because they help bond their grains, allowing the plant to absorb the elements while retaining water.
• Iron may be replaced with ferrous ore.
• Manganese ore is a manganese substitute.
• Zinc ore is a form of zinc that may be substituted for elemental zinc.

 

3-Urine as a fertilizer:

"Urine includes three vital elements for plants that farmers often purchase in the form of manure." "Nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium are the three nutrients in question." Urine also includes eight micronutrients, which are essential for plant development.

• The fertilizer problem among farmers prompted the International Fund for Agricultural Development specialists. The new approach handles the two most critical concerns farmers may encounter: irrigation and fertilizer.

• According to studies, our systems eliminate four-fifths of the nitrogen and calcium we get from food. This indicates that one human pee contains three kilos of nitrogen, 1.5 kilograms of calcium, and 500 grams of phosphorous yearly. As a result, they want farmers' fields to profit from this fertilizer richness, similar to how animal manure is utilized to boost crop output in developing nations where small farmers cannot afford chemical fertilizers.

• Urine is combined with water in a 1:5 ratio, and the liquid organic fertilizer is drip-fed to the plants via the irrigation system. The more open space there is, the more human pee is required to fertilize it. As a result, a way to collect urine or sell it must be devised.

• Urine is a rich source of nutrients. It can be used as a liquid fertilizer in agriculture to replace all or part of commercial chemical fertilizers. The WHO criteria for using urine vary depending on how long it has been held and at what temperature it has been stored.

• Urine can be used for agricultural purposes at home if stored for at least a month, but it must be stored for at least six months if it is used for crops consumed by people other than those who created it.

• In a study conducted by scientists at the Finnish University of Kuopio, the team collected urine samples from homes and used them as a fertilizer on cabbage plants. They then compared the plants fertilized with urine to those fertilized with chemical or industrial fertilizers or plants that were not. According to tests, plants grew somewhat quicker in the presence of urine than in the presence of artificial fertilizers. The researchers claimed that human urine might be used as a fertilizer on cabbage plants without posing any health risks or affecting the flavor of the food product.

• Finally, urine has a fertilizer value of around (10-1-2): Phosphorus is one part, potassium is two parts, and nitrogen is ten parts.

• According to some sources, the nitrogen in urine is ready for use by the plant and does not need microorganisms to break it down. According to specific tests, the titer of urine is 15-2-5.

4- Ashes of wood

 Potassium is the most significant element in wood ash. It includes all of the elements in plants except sulfur and nitrogen (because they are exposed to combustion while burning wood and turning it into ash).

 

In general, wood ash is a supplement to organic fertilizers made up of plant residues or animal and poultry waste in every sense of the word; it neutralizes the acidity of organic fertilizers. Because the nutritional compounds found in wood ash are water-soluble, they lose their nutrients if exposed to water. 

When placed in the rain, certain carbonaceous chemicals, less soluble in water, such as those that generate soil alkalinity, may stay in the ash.

 The most important guidelines that must be addressed while utilizing wood ash:

1- Wood ash should be applied in winter and early spring.

2- It is advisable to use it before or after the emergence of seedlings and at least two weeks before or after planting seedlings (since immature plants and plants that have been relocated from one area to another do not have a significant capacity to endure unexpected changes in soil pH) (because young plants and plants that have been moved from one place to another do not have a remarkable ability to withstand sudden changes in soil pH).

3- Wood ash is applied to the soil by dispersing it using a sieve or other fogging equipment.

4- It is advised to apply wood ash to calcium-loving plants such as tomatoes (add between a quarter and an eighth of a cup of ash for each plant) (add between a quarter and an eighth of a cup of ash for each plant).

Most agricultural fields suffer from a shortage of phosphorous. Therefore, adding wood ash to the soil helps the plant receive its requirement for this crucial element.

5- The alkalinity of wood ash may be changed by adding sulfur.

 6- When using wood ash to fertilize the soil, we distribute it over the whole area and then turn it with the soil so that the wind does not disperse and the roots may benefit.

 We do not gather it, so enormous amounts of salt do not dissolve or injure the roots.

*The safe quantity of wood ash to use as fertilizer is one kilogram per 100 square meters of soil (one kilogram per 100 square meters).

7-When wood ash is coupled with water, it becomes caustic; hence, mixing wood ash with soil before spreading it on the field is advisable.

* Potassium contributes more than 5% of wood ash, while phosphorus contributes 2%. Calcium may account for 50% of ash content; minor elements are present in trace amounts but are sufficient. Wood ash is characterized by good safety since it does not contain large amounts of heavy metals.

 5- Acids as alternatives for various elements, for example:

•  Nitric acid is a replacement for nitrogen.
• Phosphoric acid is a replacement for elemental phosphorous.
• The use of such fertilizers, even though their productivity has dropped somewhat, is compensated by the difference in the price at which they are sold, as they fall within the scope of organic agriculture, and it is sufficient for them to be healthily safe.
• Finally, these fertilizers may be used on all crops, vegetables, and fruit trees, and there is nothing to restrict their usage.