Organic Fertilizers Based on Plant Residues

One of the key challenges in sustainable agriculture is preserving and restoring soil fertility while minimizing the negative environmental impacts of chemical intensification. Increasing crop yields and ensuring food security are impossible without the use of fertilizers. However, excessive application of mineral fertilizers has led to soil structure degradation, a decrease in humus content, accumulation of toxic compounds, and pollution of aquatic ecosystems. Therefore, growing attention from scientists and farmers is being directed towards organic fertilizers derived from plant residues, which are considered an environmentally safe and economically viable alternative to mineral fertilizers.
The relevance of using organic fertilizers from plant residues lies in their ability to restore soil biological activity, improve soil structure, water retention, aeration capacity, and enrich the soil with organic matter, macro- and micronutrients. Composting straw, crop residues, husks, leaves, and other plant by-products allows for the efficient recycling of large amounts of biomass accumulated annually in the agricultural sector. This not only solves the problem of plant waste disposal but also contributes to closing the nutrient cycle within agroecosystems.