Enlist the various methods for replenishing …

Repeated growing of crops in the same field removes a lot of precious mineral elements, organic matter and other materials from the soil. The deficiency of plant nutrients and organic matter in the soil is made up by adding manures and fertilisers to the soil.

Manure is a natural substance obtained by the decomposition of animal wastes like cow-dung, human wastes and plant residues, which supplies essential elements and humus to the soil and makes it more fertile. The decomposition is carried out by microorganisms. The decomposed animal and plant matter is used as organic manure.

A fertilizer is a salt or an organic compound containing the necessary plant nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorous or potassium, to make the soil more fertile. These have plant nutrients in concentrated form so they provide quick replenishment of plant nutrients in the soil and restore its fertility. The use of fertilisers has helped the farmers to get better yield of crops such as wheat, paddy, rice, etc.