ROLE OF ORGANIC FERTILIZERS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF NUTRIENT DEFICIENCY, ACIDITY, AND TOXICITY IN ACID SOILS – A REVIEW

The different sources of organic fertilizers when available in soil play significant role in establishing appropriate microbial ecology, making available soil nutrients, moisture levels, and changing the biochemical and biophysical properties. In problematic soils, in particular acid soils, where acidity, low nutrient availability, and toxicity are concerns for general soil use, organic fertilizers are important. The importance of organic fertilizers is not limited to their role as a source of reservoir of soil nutrients, moisture, and ameliorants to soil properties that determine soil fertility status but the management of acidity and toxicity as two factors that affect soil productivity. Soil acidity and its associated problem, toxicity, is not only a problem for plant productivity, hence livestock production but soil microbial ecology which is a source of organic fertilizers. This paper has synthesized relevant literature and points out that death microbial, animal, and plant biomass are the main sources of organic fertilizers. It further emphasizes that availability of organic fertilizers improves low soil nutrients status, ameliorates acidity and detoxifies toxicity of toxic cations (Al, Mn, and Fe), and enhances microbial ecology in problematic soils. The underlying mechanisms for these processes, improving soil nutrients, amelioration of soil acidity and detoxification of toxicity have been discussed.