Sustainability of Organic Soil Amendments on Soil Fertility and Earthworms

One of the growing concerns of farmers is soil fertility which is defined as the ability of soil to grow and support plant life by minerals and nutrients needed for the plants. Healthy soil leads to better yields which lead to more food produced. Traditionally, soil fertility has been maintained with the use of chemical fertilizers. This research looked at an alternative method of increasing soil fertility: the addition of a soil amendment. Chemical fertilizers can lead to an oversupply of nitrogen which can make the plants more susceptible to diseases and pests and can also reduce the colonization of bacteria on plant roots and the symbiotic relationships in the soil. Gardeners are looking for other soil amendments to increase their yield while also avoiding chemical fertilizers. An organic alternative is a soil rejuvenator. This is dehydrated and added on top of the garden compost. When the bacteria in the rejuvenator come into contact with water, they enter an active state and start to break down organic matter into nutrients that plants need. Keywords: beneficial bacteria, beneficial organisms, organic, soil amendment