Remove Compost Remove Straw Remove Yield
article thumbnail

Should Bioplastics Be Allowed in Organic Compost?

Civil Eats

Steve Ela is an organic fruit grower in western Colorado who relies on compost to nourish his heirloom tomato crop each year. Ela knows first-hand how central compost is to his organic farm—and all organic agriculture. Ela knows first-hand how central compost is to his organic farm—and all organic agriculture.

Compost 141
article thumbnail

Do You Need Starter Fertilizer with Organic Nitrogen?

Cropaia

Organic fertilizers such as manure, compost , and other organic amendments are valuable sources of nitrogen. Understanding when and how much nitrogen becomes available after applying organic fertilizers is essential for effective nutrient management and maximizing crop yield.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

Best Practices for Managing Plant Nutrients

Farmbrite

Nutrients and irrigation speed up crop development, increase crop yield and prevent contamination. Compost: Compost improves and adds nourishment to the soil. 3 Keys to Composting: Layering : Create layers of greens and browns to ensure that microorganisms have a balanced diet of nutrients to break down the material effectively.

article thumbnail

Fertilising Plants – All you need to know

Kavya Organic Farm

Nitrogen helps with greenery, and potassium helps with plants’ stalks and straws Why fertilisers? Some traditional farming and agricultural methods, to date, use other methods of fertilising plants, especially farm manure and compost. They increase the depth of the roots and the water intake and volume.

Manure 98
article thumbnail

Can Agriculture Kick Its Plastic Addiction?

Civil Eats

These synthetic polymer products have often been used to help boost yields up to 60 percent and make water and pesticide use more efficient. As contamination rose, crop yields fell by 15 percent. The widespread practice, which took place through the late aughts, “had a deleterious effect on soil quality,” says Richard H.

article thumbnail

Fungi Are Helping Farmers Unlock the Secrets of Soil Carbon

Civil Eats

The prevailing model involves taking care of the crop’s nutritional needs with chemicals, bumping up the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in an effort to maximize the yield of the crop. He steeps the compost like a tea, extracting the microorganisms in water, and then runs it through his irrigation system. agriculture.

Farming 144
article thumbnail

Black Earth: A Family’s Journey from Enslavement to Reclamation

Civil Eats

This morning, while he waits for help, he reaches a pitchfork up into a back compartment of the machine to pull out the straw that got stuck. Patrick adjusts the bolts that control the straw-release door on the back of the machine so its open 6 inches wider than it was, and then he and Hedgepeth climb the five-step ladder up front.