What We Put In Dirt Can Hurt: The Differences Between Crop Additives
When it comes to farming, there are three main types: traditional, organic, and regenerative. Each style of farming has its own unique set of go-to crop additives. Unfortunately, traditional farming practices and crop additives have proven to take a toll on our environment and health. In response, organic and regenerative agriculture have recently gained popularity as the shift towards a more sustainable future gains momentum.
As we take a closer look at the different crop additives used in traditional, organic, and regenerative farming, we’ll explore the impacts that these additives have on our environment. We'll review what kinds of crop additives there are, what they're made of, and how they work, with a focus on how regenerative crop additives and techniques can help improve the quality of our food, health, and environment.
Crop Additives
Crop additives are supplements added to the soil and practices used to help maximize crop yield and improve soil and crop quality. Crop additives include organic and inorganic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides. While plants and soil need essential micro and macronutrients to thrive, inorganic or chemical additives can be extremely harmful to the environment in many ways, including contributing to water pollution, soil erosion, air pollution, and creating dead zones in bodies of water. When not processed correctly or used improperly, even organic additives can be harmful to the environment and humans.
Different Kinds of Fertilizers
Inorganic/Chemical
Inorganic fertilizers are chemical-based crop additives used to supplement the soil. These fertilizers are made up of macronutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK), which are essential for crop growth. Inorganic fertilizers can be made from chemical compounds or mined minerals.
Nitrogen Fertilizers - Nitrogen plays an important role in plant development and structure because it is an essential component of amino acids. Amino acids make up proteins and enzymes. Proteins are what make up the plant's structural material, and enzymes are responsible for all the plant's biochemical reactions. Some types of nitrogen fertilizers are ammonium (bicarbonate/sulfate/chloride), nitrite (sodium/calcium), and amide (carbamide, also known as urea).
Phosphorus Fertilizers - Phosphorus is an essential macronutrient for plants because it facilitates photosynthesis. These kinds of fertilizers tend to be: water-soluble, such as with calcium superphosphate and triple superphosphate fertilizers; mixing soluble, such as nitrophosphate fertilizer; or citrate soluble, meaning it can be dissolved in an ammonium citrate solution.
Potassium Fertilizers - Potassium is involved with moving nutrients and water throughout plant tissue and aids with enzyme activation. Some potassium fertilizers are muriate of potash (potassium chloride) and potassium sulfate.
Organic
Organic crop additives are naturally derived substances that help to nourish the soil and promote crop growth. Examples include compost, manure, mulch, and biochar. These organic crop additives help improve the quality of the soil by providing nutrients and increasing microbial activity in the soil.
Agro-industrial waste - leftover organic materials such as cotton and sugar cane stalks, unproductive seed meal, cellulose from corn stalks, distillers' grains, fruit peels from juice factories, coffee pulp, husks from cereal producers, vinegar residue, and many more plant-based byproducts
Livestock manure - the excrements of various farm animals, such as chicken, pig, and rabbit manure, processed to remove harmful bacteria
Municipal sludge - treated and processed sewage and river muck
Traditional Farming
Traditional farming techniques have been used for centuries and generally involve crop additives such as synthetic chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and biosolids. Chemically derived additives are typically added in large quantities to boost crop yields, yet research has shown that less than 2% of these sprayed chemicals actually reach their intended target. Agricultural runoff has been found significantly in agricultural streams, shallow wells, and major deep aquifers across the United States.
When applied in such a hazardous manner and over long periods, these chemicals become perilous to the soil, crop quality, human health, and the environment.
Organic Farming
Organic farming is a more sustainable alternative to traditional farming that focuses on using organic additives for crop production. Organic farming employs practices such as crop rotation and crop diversity and uses organic fertilizers, including manure and compost. Organic farming is required by law to avoid the use of synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides; however, "natural" pesticides are still permitted. Studies have shown that some of the USDA's approved organic crop additives are not necessarily any better for the environment and human health than those that are synthetically derived.
Studies have found that even “organic” sewage sludge is tainted with contaminants. Laced with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs) and microplastics, municipal sludge used for fertilizer is still poisoning water supplies, contaminating crops, and destroying livelihoods. PFAs are long-lasting, commonly used chemicals that may be linked to harmful health effects - and we are finding them in water, soil, air, fish, the blood of humans and animals, and our food.
Additionally, without the use of more effective synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, organic farmers also tend to require the use of larger amounts of product for them to be effective. The need for more product can have a worse impact than lower amounts of synthetic pesticides by increasing cost and raising the need for more land to produce the same yield. This creates the demand for more acreage devoted to agricultural production, which contributes to the issue of deforestation and the reduction of carbon sequestration as well.
Regenerative Farming
While regenerative farming has recently gained popularity, it is actually an ancient way of growing food, based on the ideas of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) who have used these practices for thousands of years.
The goal of regenerative techniques is to naturally and sustainably foster the health of the soil, restore nutrient levels, increase water retention and crop yields, reduce erosion and pest pressures, sequester more carbon in the soil, improve crop quality and flavor, and create an overall healthier environment. Regenerative farming also uses fewer resources than traditional or organic farming and helps reduce fertilizer costs.
Regenerative farming focuses on restoring soil fertility and returning the land to a more natural state. This type of farming uses crop additives such as green and farmyard manures, compost, rock dust, and beneficial insects such as ladybugs and other insects to help maintain crop health. Regenerative agriculture also relies on the use of cover crops, no-till farming, crop rotation practices, and crop diversity to improve crop yields and soil health. Because regenerative crop additives help increase crop yields without using chemicals, they also help to reduce pollution and improve soil fertility over time.
Regenerative Farming is the Best Option
Regenerative crop additives are similar to those used in organic farming because they are natural and use practices such as crop rotation, crop diversity, and cover crops; however, regenerative farming takes it a step further. Regenerative farming is about longevity. It’s about investing in the long haul rather than focusing on making a quick buck- true sustainability. Generally, regenerative agriculture has a higher initial cost, but it also has a high return on investment (ROI).
Regenerative practices may take a bit more time, money, and work to produce the desired results, but these types of crop additives are going to be a crucial part of future sustainable agriculture systems. Regenerative crop additives have the potential to restore crop yields, improve crop quality and flavor, reduce resource use, and provide healthier ecosystems for people, plants, and animals alike. By utilizing regenerative crop additives, farmers can create an overall healthier environment while saving money, too.
Ultimately, when it comes to crop additives, regenerative techniques offer the most sustainable option for farmers and the planet. These practices help protect the health of humans, the environment, and our food while reducing the cost of production by eliminating the use of expensive synthetic additives.
Summary
Crop additives play an important role in crop production, but there is a significant difference between traditional, organic, and regenerative crop additives. Crop additives used in traditional farming are expensive and have been linked to environmental degradation and human health problems. At the same time, organic crop additives are more sustainable but still require increased land use and may contain ingredients that are not safe for crop health and human consumption.
Regenerative farming practices and crop additives can restore soil fertility and crop yields while reducing resource use and cost. Regenerative crop additives provide an environmentally sound alternative to traditional and organic techniques that helps reduce our impact on the environment.
