Plant/Soil Interaction

• Plants obtain raw materials--such as carbon dioxide, water, nitrate, phosphate and various other essential elements--to synthesize into usable forms directly from the soil, says Commoner. A plant absorbs nitrogen, usually as nitrate, so that it may manufacture necessary amino acids and nucleotides. Commoner says organic farmers would never directly apply nitrate or chemicals readily changed by soil into nitrate as this leads to unpleasant environmental effects.
  
  

Natural Nitrogen

• Soil microbial processes result in a soil derivative known as humus that produces natural nitrogen readily available for use by plant root systems in the soil. This process does not promote or lead to nitrogen leeching when it is allowed to happen naturally using fertilizers such as manure or compost, reports Commoner.
  
  

Unnatural Nitrogen

• Introducing unnatural nitrogen sources, such as applied nitrates or ammonia salts readily converted to nitrate by soil microorganisms, results in an increased production of nitrate that the soil is unprepared to distribute evenly with humus. This practice frequently results in nitrogen leeching, according to Commoner.
  
  

Humus Necessity

• When natural fertilizers are used, microbial flora are encouraged by natural processes, and as these flora live and consume the natural fertilizer, they form colonies that eventually die and decay, thus enriching the soil and producing nitrogen and other important plant elements. These deposits are referred to as humus, and are exceptionally important in soil chemical compositions.
  
  

Nitrate Leeching

• Commoner warns that using unnatural fertilizers, such as those used by the majority of the agricultural industry, lead to increased nitrogen levels and decreased humus levels in the soil. This imbalance leads to nitrogen leeching into the water supply and could possibly raise nitrate levels beyond modern health safety standards.