The Importance of Soil Nutrition

I have to say that before I started eating organic produce, I never paid much attention to soil nutrients. That might sound scandalous and ignorant simultaneously because obviously it takes fertile soil to produce healthy plants. The FAO says:

Soil is a living, dynamic ecosystem. Healthy soil is teeming with microscopic and larger organisms that perform many vital functions including converting dead and decaying matter as well as minerals to plant nutrients. Different soil organisms feed on different organic substrates. Their biological activity depends on the organic matter supply.

My scientific thinking never went much past photosynthesis. So it surprised me that all these nutrient elements are obtained from the soil:

• Nitrogen
• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Sulfur
• Magnesium
• Calcium
• Iron
• Boron
• Manganese
• Zinc
• Molybdenum
• Copper

The most important plant nutrients are nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K). Nitrogen helps above-ground leafy growth and gives dark green color to leaves. Phosphorous encourages plant cell division. Without phosphorous, flowers and seeds could not form. Phosphorous also helps root growth and protects the plant from disease. Like phosphorous, potassium increases the plant’s resistance to disease and encourages root growth. Potassium is needed for the making of chlorophyll.

One thing I was familiar with was crop rotation. In order to ensure plants are not depleting the soil, it’s necessary to move plants from field to field, allowing soil to replenish itself. Related is the use of fertilizers. Benefits of organic fertilizers include improvements in soil tilth (suitability of the soil to support plant growth). Obviously, the more natural the fertilizer, the better. There are many ways to restore soil nutrients naturally, and organic farmers use such practices

As I blog, I will continue to examine the importance of soil nutrition and the issues surrounding it. Follow me as I learn!

Katherine Gotthardt, Writer for Wintergreen Organics and Naturals