Module 4 Ed

27
Republic of the Philippines

NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.: IM-AGRIC-1STSEM-2023-2024
College: Agriculture
Campus: Bayombong
DEGREE PROGRAM CAS COURSE NO. AGRIC

SPECIALIZATION N/A COURSE TITLE Introduction to Organic Agriculture
YEAR LEVEL 2nd TIME FRAME 9hr WK NO. 9- IM NO. 4
s 11
I. UNIT TITLE/CHAPTER TITLE

BALANCED NUTRITION
II. LESSON TITLE

A. Plant Nutrition and Plant Health
B. Nutrient Supply by Managing Soil Organic Matter
C. Nutrient Cycles – Optimizing Nutrient Management on the Farm
III. LESSON OVERVIEW

The lesson presents the approach to plant nutrition in organic agriculture that is fundamentally different
from the practices of conventional agriculture. While conventional agriculture aims at providing direct
nutrition to the plants by using mostly easily soluble mineral fertilizers, organic farming feeds the plants
indirectly by feeding the soil organisms with organic matter.
IV. DESIRED LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the topic, the students should be able to:
a) Discuss chemical fertilization bears many risks and offers many long-term disadvantages;
b) Summarize the importance of plant nutrition in organic farming that is based on the nutrient supply
by sound management of the organic matter in the soil;
c) Adapt a sustainable management practice of large quantities of unused organic material found on
many farms that could be used for mulching or composting; and
d) Develop plans for the best use of the nutrients made, when they are systematically recycled, with
losses being minimized and inputs being optimized.
V. LESSON CONTENT
CHAPTER IV
Balanced Nutrition
A fundamental principle of sustainable agriculture that applies to all farming systems is the need to balance
mineral nutrient inputs and outputs over the long term (Heckman, 2021). Effective nutrient management is
essential in organic farming systems. Processed soluble fertilizers such as ammonium nitrate, which feed
the plant directly and are thought to bypass the natural processes of the soil, are not generally acceptable.
Nutrient supply to crop plants is supported through recycling, the management of biologically related
processes such as nitrogen fixation by legumes, and the limited use of unrefined, slowly soluble off-farm
materials that decompose in the same way as soil minerals or organic matter. The aim is to achieve as far as
possible a closed nutrient cycle on the farm and to minimize adverse environmental impact. Effective
management of any ‘waste’ materials such as manure and crop residues is a key to nutrient cycling on
organic farms (Goulding, 2009).
A. Plant Nutrition and Plant Health

Synthetic or mineral fertilizers –advantages and disadvantages
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The use of mineral fertilizers can lead to an impressive increase in yields. Mineral fertilizers offer large
amounts of nutrients to plants in an easily available form. This fact makes the use of nitrogen fertilizers
especially tempting. But, they also have their limitations. About half of the applied nitrogen fertilizer
usually gets lost through runoff, leaching, and volatilization. Under unfavorable conditions (strong
rainfalls, long dry periods, eroded soils, or soils with a low level of organic matter) efficiency of
nitrogen fertilizers may be even lower. As a result of runoff and leaching, for example, ground and
drinking water may become polluted. Besides being economically and ecologically questionable,
mineral fertilizers can also harm plant health.
Plant nutrition and plant health are closely linked

1. Chemical fertilization has the following negative impact on soil and plant health:
o Oversupply of nitrogen leads to a softening of the plants’ tissues resulting in plants that are more
sensitive to diseases and pests.
o It reduces the colonization of plant roots with the beneficial root fungus mycorrhiza.
o High nitrogen fertilization stops symbiotic nitrogen fixation by rhizobia.
o The exclusive use of NPK fertilizers leads to a depletion of micro-nutrients in the soil as these
are not
replaced by these fertilizers. This results in a decline in yields and a reduction in plant and animal
health.
o The decomposition of soil organic matter is enhanced which leads to a degradation of the soil
structure and a higher vulnerability to drought.
2. Organic fertilization feeds the soil with organic matter, which has the following positive effects:
o The supply of nutrients is more balanced which helps to keep plants healthy
o Soil biological activity is enhanced which improves nutrient mobilization from organic and
mineral sources and the
decomposition of toxic
substances.
o Mycorrhizal colonization is
enhanced which improves the
supply of phosphorus.
o Compost has the potential to
suppress soil-borne pathogens
when applied to the soil.
o Due to better soil structure root
growth is enhanced.
o Humus improves the exchange
capacity for nutrients and avoids
soil acidity.
How chemical and organic fertilization influence plant health.
B. Nutrient Supply by Managing Soil Organic Matter

Plant nutrition in organic farming focuses on sound management of the soil organic matter, which is the
main nutrient pool for the plants (besides nitrogen from symbiotic fixation). The organic farmer uses
three approaches to ensure a continuous nutrient supply from soil organic matter:
1. Varying the input of organic material: The amount and the quality of organic matter, that is
supplied to the soil, influences the content of organic matter in the soil. A regular supply of organic
matter provides the best conditions for balanced plant nutrition. Estimates say that in humid tropical
climates 8.5 t, in sub-humid climates 4 t, and semiarid 2 t of biomass is needed per hectare and per
year to maintain soil carbon levels of 2, 1, and 0.5 % respectively.
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2. Suitable crop rotation: The crops being grown to determine the number of nutrients the soil needs
to maintain its fertility. The farmer arranges the rotation in such a way that the demand and supply of
nutrients (e.g. nitrogen from legumes, nutrients from a green manure crop) fit in the best possible
way.
What is Crop Rotation?
Crop rotation refers to the cultivation of different crops on a particular piece of land over time. The
succession of crops to be grown is carefully designed to ensure soil nutrients are sustained, pest populations
are controlled, weeds are suppressed and soil health is built.
A crop rotation will cycle through cash crops (such as vegetables), cover crops (grasses and cereals) and
green manures (often legumes). The exact sequence of crops will vary depending on local circumstances,
with the critical design element being an understanding what each crop contributes and takes from the soil.
For instance, nitrogen depleting crop should be preceded by a nitrogen fixing crop.
The central idea is to have the crops themselves sustain soil health, rather than planting the same crop year in,
year out, and then repairing soil health through fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.
Crop rotation improves the physical and chemical conditions of soil and thus improves the overall fertility.
o Nitrogen-fixing legumes such as soybeans and alfalfa in crop rotations fix atmospheric nitrogen into the
soil through root nodules. This nitrogen is then available for subsequent crops.
o Deep rooted cover crops can draw up nutrients such as potassium and phosphorus from deep in the soil
profile, making these nutrients available for subsequent shallow rooted cash crops. Growing a hay crop in
a rotation can result in improved tilth and bulk density. When a hay crop is plowed in, the soil will be
loose and have a good granular structure and tilth. These improved properties result from the soil being
protected from raindrops, the network of fine roots in the soil, and the formation of humus from
Why Rotate Crops?

Effective crop rotations are a foundation of organic cropping systems. Organic farmers
recognize that crop rotation is necessary to maintain field productivity. Expert farmers
design their rotations to (1) earn income and (2) increase soil quality or build “soil
capital.” Crop rotation and a crop rotation plan and records are required for organic
certification of a field or farm.
The Concepts of Soil Quality, Soil Capital, Soil Health, and Soil Life
Organic agriculture revolves around the concepts of soil life and soil biology. Organic
practices, including crop rotation, are expected to enhance soil life and soil health. A basic
tenet of organic agriculture is that biological diversity and soil organic matter are drivers
of productive organic farming systems. Farmers believe that a soil high in organic matter
leads to a healthy, biologically active soil that will have fewer crop fertility, pest, and
disease problems. Farmers also use the term soil capital to express how soil building
practices are an investment in long-term soil productivity (Mohler and Johnson, 2009).
3. Influencing nutrient mobilization: Soil cultivation improves the aeration of the soil and enhances the
activity of soil micro-organisms. The farmer can influence the nutrient release from humus by cultivating
the soil at the appropriate time, to the appropriate depth, and with the appropriate intensity and
frequency.
- The activity of soil micro-
organisms is very important
for ensuring a sufficient
nutrient supply to the plant. If
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the micro-organisms find suitable conditions for their growth, they can be very efficient in dissolving
nutrients and making them available to plants. Therefore, in organic agriculture, it is important to
encourage plant health by creating biologically active soil.
exudates In their natural environment, plants

are part of a rich ecosystem including
numerous and diverse
microorganisms in the soil. It has
been long recognized that some of
these microbes, such as mycorrhizal
fungi or nitrogen fixing symbiotic
metabolic
bacteria, play important roles in plant
activity
performance by improving mineral
nutrition.
Three mechanisms are usually put

Figure 4. Interactions between plants, microbiota, and soil. forward to explain how microbial
Both plants and microorganisms obtain their nutrients from soil and activity can boost plant growth:
change soil properties by organic litter deposition and metabolic 1) manipulating the hormonal
activities, respectively. Microorganisms have a range of direct
signaling of plants
effects on plants through, e.g., manipulation of hormone signaling
2) repelling or outcompeting
and protection against pathogens. Plants communicate with the
microorganisms through metabolites exuded by the roots. The pathogenic microbial strains
major knowledge gaps for understanding the mechanisms of plant– 3) increasing the bioavailability of soil-
microbe interactions in the rhizosphere are shown in bold red borne nutrients (Jacoby et al.,
color. 2017).
C. Nutrient Cycles – Optimizing Nutrient Management on the Farm

In nature, nutrient recycling results from the close link between above-ground and underground life.
Generally, plants build more biomass in the roots than in the plant parts above ground. Roots are rapidly
and constantly decomposed and are an important source of food for soil organisms. Through their work
and the nutrient release that follows their death, the soil organisms are recycled into food for new plant
growth. When the plants die, the recycled plant matter is again recycled and feeds the soil organisms,
thus closing the cycle and slowly improving soil fertility.
Nutrient recycling on the farm

In contrast to nature, in agriculture, the farmer fertilizes the fields to harvest more products. If a farmer
does not want to depend on external inputs to a great extent, he must achieve more efficient use of
nutrients, i.e. practice better nutrient management on the farm. This results in the idea that nutrients
should be made available from within the farm organism. This idea leads to the concept of closed
nutrient cycles.
How to optimize nutrient management on the farm?
Principle 1: Minimize losses

o High losses of nutrients result from leaching which is due to a low exchange capacity of the soil. The
leaching of nutrients can be reduced by raising the content of soil organic matter.
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o If dung or compost is kept in waterlogged conditions or is exposed to the sun, high losses of nitrogen
may occur. Washout of soluble nutrients from stored dung and compost can be prevented by proper
sheltering and storage. Dung or compost is often stored in pits where water collects during the rainy
season. Nitrogen gets lost through leaching (if the bottom of the pit is permeable) or through
volatilization (if the water gets logged in the pit).
o Soil erosion robs the soil of its most fertile part: the topsoil, which contains the majority of nutrients
and organic material. This can be prevented by maintaining a
dense plant cover and with constructions such as terracing.
o Avoid burning biomass.
o To prevent losses of nitrogen fixed by leguminous plants,

practice mixed cropping or crop rotation with species of high
nitrogen demand.
o Nutrient release from soil organic matter when there are no
plants present or able to take it up leads to considerable nutrient losses.
Principle 2: Closed nutrient cycles

o Maximize recycling of plant residues, by-products,
dung, and farm wastes. Every leaf, every twig, every
husk, every peel, every root, and every excrement are
valuable sources of various nutrients and should be
returned to the crops.
o Deep-rooting trees and shrubs planted in spare corners
collect leached nutrients and can supply a great deal of
mulch material if intense pruning is done. Composting
o Compost can be made out of almost any organic
material from the farm. It is not only a means of recycling nutrients but also increases the “exchange
capacity” (i.e., the capacity to store nutrients) of the soil.
o Mulching is a simple way of recycling nutrients. It helps to keep moisture
Recycled or
in the soil and feeds soil organisms.
saved
o Ashes of stoves are a highly concentrated mixture of nutrients like
nutrients also
potassium, calcium, and magnesium and may be applied to fields or
mixed into the compost. mean saved
o Different plants have different requirements for nutrients; mixed cropping money!
and crop rotations help to optimize the use of nutrients in the soil.
Principle 3: Optimize inputs

o Introduce external organic “wastes”, if available. Several cheap organic wastes like coffee husks,
sugarcane trash, rice husks, cotton stalks, etc. may be available in the region and could be used to
prepare compost.
o Minerals like rock phosphate or dolomite help to supply scarce nutrients and are less prone to
leaching and less harmful to the soil than concentrates.
o Nitrogen-fixing plants (legumes) provide free-of-cost nitrogen. They can be planted as cover crops,
food grains, hedges, or trees, and also provide firewood, mulch, and fodder.
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A field showing corn growing in the alley Example of the mines where rock phosphate fertilizer is
between hedgerows of shrub legumes. The derived from. Also known as phosphorite, rock phosphate
hedgerows are pruned at frequent intervals is a sedimentary rock that contains high amounts of
and the prunings placed in the alley to add phosphorus. The rock is mined and also contains clay and
nitrogen and provide mulch. limestone. It’s used for making organic phosphate
fertilizers for gardens.
The integrated agroecosystems approach

Three (3) basic principles.
1) To use all biologically organic materials and wastes instead of disposing of them.
2) To obtain at least two products from waste.
3) To close the loop for the material and nutrient flow to achieve total use of a resource and zero waste
disposal (Figure 5).
Figure 5. Nutrient flows in agriculture
VI. LEARNING ACTIVITIES (See LAN 4)
VII. ASSIGNMENT (None)
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VIII. REFERENCES
1. Eyhorn, F., M. Heeb, & G. Weidmann. (2019). IFOAM Training Manual for Organic
Agriculture in the Tropics. https://resources.peopleinneed.net/documents/654-ifoam-training-
manual-for-organic-agricul ture -in- the-tropics-0.pdf
2. Goulding, K., E. Stockdale, and C. Watson. (2009). Plant Nutrients in Organic Farming. Springer.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9316-6_4
3. Heckman, J.R. (2021). Balancing soil fertility and nutrient management for organic farming.
Retrieved from https://organicfarmermag.com/2021/08/balancing-soil-fertility-and-nutrient-
management-for-organic-farming/
4. Jacoby, R., P.M. Succurro, A. Koprivova, and S. Kopriva. (2017). The role of soil microorganisms
in plant mineral nutrition – Current knowledge and future directions. Front. Plant Sci. 8:1617. doi:
10.3389/fpls.2017.01617
5. Mohler, C.L. and S.E. Johnson. (2009). Crop rotation on organic farms: A planning manual.
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. Retrieved from
https://www.sare.org/wp-content/uploads/Crop-Rotation-on-Organic-Farms.pdf
6. Reza, S. (2016). Crop Rotation – A vital component of organic farming. Retrieved from
https://www.permaculturenews.org/2016/06/15/crop-rotation-a-vital-component-of-organic-farming/
STAY SAFE EVERYONE
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Republic of the Philippines

DEGREE PROGRAM CAS COURSE NO. AGRIC

I. UNIT TITLE/CHAPTER TITLE

II. LESSON TITLE

III. LESSON OVERVIEW

IV. DESIRED LEARNING OUTCOMES

A. Plant Nutrition and Plant Health

Republic of the Philippines

Plant nutrition and plant health are closely linked

B. Nutrient Supply by Managing Soil Organic Matter

Republic of the Philippines

What is Crop Rotation?

Why Rotate Crops?

Republic of the Philippines

exudates In their natural environment, plants

Three mechanisms are usually put

C. Nutrient Cycles – Optimizing Nutrient Management on the Farm

Nutrient recycling on the farm

How to optimize nutrient management on the farm?

Principle 1: Minimize losses

Republic of the Philippines

o Avoid burning biomass.

o To prevent losses of nitrogen fixed by leguminous plants,

Principle 2: Closed nutrient cycles

Principle 3: Optimize inputs

Republic of the Philippines

The integrated agroecosystems approach

Figure 5. Nutrient flows in agriculture

VI. LEARNING ACTIVITIES (See LAN 4)

VII. ASSIGNMENT (None)

Republic of the Philippines

STAY SAFE EVERYONE

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