How does inorganic fertilizer use create unhealthy plants and soil?
Inorganic fertilizers supply only nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Like people, plants need a wide spectrum of nutrients. As the fertilizers destroy microbial life, plants lose their supply of essential trace minerals. Chemical fertilizers also weaken plant cell structure, as inorganic phosphorous replaces calcium in the cell wall, resulting in plants that are fast growing but weak, watery and more susceptible to insects, drought and disease. Unfortunately, conventional techniques focus on treating these symptoms by adding more fertilizer and pesticides. The cycle continues, becoming more and more toxic to the soil, water, plants and people. Inorganic fertilizers contaminate water resources. Nitrogen is very water-soluble and easily leaches into the groundwater, increasing nitrate levels in our drinking water. Phosphates erode into surface waters and disturb the ecology of streams and lakes. (This is an example of nonpoint source pollution, a topic Maysie’s Farm is addressing as pa
