Question

Why are manures considered better than fertilizers in maintaining soil fertility? Give any two points in support of your answer.

Answer 1

Manures are prepared by the decomposition of dead plant and animal wastes e.g., plant residue, human waste, and cow and buffalo dung. Manures contain large quantity of organic matter and small quantity of nutrients. The bulk of organic matter in manure helps in improving soil fertility. So manures are also called natural fertilizers.
Manures are considered better than fertilizers in maintaining soil fertility due to
(i) Manures improve the structure of soil such as increase water-holding capacity in sandy soils. In clay soils, the large quantities of organic matter helps in drainage and avoiding water-logging in the fields.
(ii) Soil has various type of microorganisms which help to improve the fertility of soil. Excessive use of fertilizers harm these microorganisms and the soil tend to become unfertilized. Due to these reasons, we should prefer manure over fertilizers.