Organic Fertilizer - Disadvantages

Disadvantages

Organic fertilizers have the following disadvantages:

• As a dilute source of nutrients when compared to inorganic fertilizers, transporting large amount of fertilizer incurs higher costs, especially with slurry and manure.
• The composition of organic fertilizers tends to be more complex and variable than a standardized inorganic product.
• Improperly processed organic fertilizers may contain pathogens from plant or animal matter that are harmful to humans or plants. However, proper composting should remove them.
• More labor is needed to compost organic fertilizer, increasing labor costs. Some of this cost is offset by reduced cash purchase.
• More applications of organic fertilizer are needed to apply sufficient nutrients to the soil. The multiple passes of fertilizing equipment cause soil compaction, require more labor and use up more fuel.