Fortified Organic Fertilizer?
The first word uttered by Dr. Cezar Mamaril, a retired UP Los Banos soil science professor and IRRI (International Rice Research Institute) soil scientist, was “Wow” when we told him about the observation of dela Pena.
He said there is no such thing as fortifying organic fertilizer with inorganic fertilizer. Once inorganic fertilizer is mixed with organic fertilizer, the mixture is no longer organic. It’s as simple as that in soil chemistry. Moreover, the odor of the mixture is not user-friendly, he said.
He added that a certain producer even told him he was adding lime to his organic material to correct soil pH. Dr. Mamaril was laughing loudly at this revelation since the nitrogen content of the organic material quickly evaporates into thin air with the addition of lime. “I wonder where they got their courses in chemistry, if any,” he said.
He was quick to point out that he is all out for organic fertilization. However, producers must be honest to their clients.
One may wonder how things like these pass through the noses of people at the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority.
