Do sythetic fertilizers improve soil fertility?
When synthetic fertilizers are applied to soil they are generally not absorbed directly by the plant. Most synthetic fertilizer nutrients are first digested by the soil microbes that have virtually the same nutritional needs as the plant. As an example, at least two families of microbes are required to convert ammonia fertilizers into nitrates. If excess nitrogen is applied to soil, the microbes may consume the carbonaceous humus and convert it to carbon dioxide that may be lost from the soil, thus reducing levels of humus, which is detriment to the soil. When synthetic fertilizers are added to soil in proper amounts, the nutrients feed the microbes and the microbes feed the plants. Most synthetic fertilizers are water-soluble and are easily leached out of the plant root zone. When the nutrients are chelated with carbon by the microbes, the nutrients are more stable and resist leaching out of the root zone.
