ISSN 2360-7971
Abstract: Organic and inorganic fertilizers are the major categories of fertilizers used to increase agricultural productivities. Increasing organic matter content in soil, improve the soil structure, creating more air space and water retention within the soil and enhances soil nitrogen content, nutrient availability, improves nutrient mobilization. Organic fertilizer acts as a buffering agent against undesirable soil pH fluctuations. Organic fertilizers increase the quality and yield of crops. Moreover, with the use of vermicompost as organic amendments in the agriculture, recycling of the nutrients back to the soil takes place, in turn, maintaining the sustainability of the ecosystem. The advantages of vermicompost can be visualized in terms of improvement in soil physicochemical and biological properties, improved rate of nutrient uptake by crops and yield recovery as reported by many studies. Application of chemical fertilizers, like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, are considered as the most beneficial way to provide nutrients to plants. The application of these fertilizers not only improves nutrients but also affects soil health either positively or negatively. For soil that much deteriorated, adding chemical fertilizers might be essential because chemical fertilizers can re-establish the soil fertility very quickly and the nutrients are obtainable to the plants as soon as the fertilizers are dissolved in the soil. Correct amount applications of inorganic fertilizer can increase soil organic matter through higher levels of root mass and crop residues. Chemical fertilizers perform valuable contribution to get high crop productivity. Therefore, in order to maintain soil fertility and promote crop productivity, the organic matter should be maintained, integrated use of organic and inorganic fertilizer should be practiced.
Keywords: Vermicompost, Inorganic fertilizer, Soil fertility, Crop productivity.