Meaning, difference and advantages/disadvantages of manure and fertilizers/Fertilisers
Often, we r confused when we use words Manure and Fertilizers (American English)/Fertilisers (British English) as to what it refers to and have people mixing the terms when referring to each other.
Manure : Manure is organic wastes from plants and animals that r available naturally to boost plant growth in agriculture/gardening. Dead and decomposing plant and animal matter is added to soil and it is the most efficient, freely available, natural and renewable source which when rightly applied has no side effects and is a long term sustainable method of agriculture/gardening. We should all try to help wean everybody from manmade fertilisers and promote manure use strongly as the consequences of use of Fertilisers is devastating on both our soil, water bodies and entire living kind.
Fertilizer/fertiliser: Around 19th century, an agricultural industry developed synthetically created fertilisers which helped transform the global food system by its capacity to increase food production in huge quantities.
But the use of industrial Fertilizers has caused world wide large scale pollution of soil and water and created carbon and other pollutant emissions by their large scale production.
The move from sustainable farming to chemical based farming from the 19th century onwards has also led to many lifestyle diseases among the mass population and turned hectares of land uncultivable. Now, realising its short and long term implications, globally farmers are going back to permaculture/permanent agriculture which was in existence previously.
More details on manure and fertilizer types to follow