What is the difference between organic and inorganic products? Organic and inorganic substances: what is it and what is the difference

In order to get a good crop, it is necessary not only to water and weed plants in a timely manner, but also to fertilize. They are of different types, so many owners of suburban areas are interested in what dressings and when to bring. We will tell you the difference between organic and mineral fertilizers.

Wastes of plant and animal origin are organic fertilizers. They are available to every gardener, but they can be applied to the soil only in a rotted form. Organics contain all the necessary elements for a good harvest: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and calcium. The following compositions are most popular among gardeners:

Cow dung is one of the richest sources of nitrogen. It has a long validity period (up to 7 years). It can be applied only once every 4 years and in small portions. If manure is often added, the soil will be oversaturated with nitrogen, which will lead to the formation of nitrates in vegetables. You need to bring in only rotted manure, otherwise you can transfer pests and weed seeds to the soil. The introduction of raw manure leads to increased plant growth, but the inability to form a good crop.
Bird droppings are the source of all the essential substances needed for plants. It contains bacteriophages that disinfect the soil. This fertilizer should only be mixed with peat or turf, as there is a lot of uric acid in the litter. Another way to use bird droppings is to prepare infusions that must be kept for about 10 days.

Peat is not often used as a nutrient. It gives nitrogen quite poorly and is usually used to improve soil properties. Another area of \u200b\u200bapplication of peat is mixing with other organic top dressing, composting. If you want to make it as fertilizer yourself, then you need to dig peat on the bayonet of a shovel. To prevent the soil from acidifying, use dolomite flour and ash.
Many gardeners make their own compost, which put a variety of organic waste. The baked compost in its properties can replace humus. It contains a large amount of beneficial substances, especially nitrogen. If you use compost, do not immediately after sowing it, immediately sow plants that can accumulate nitrates. These include beets, lettuce and radishes. Together with compost, it is recommended to use potassium and magnesium salts.
Ash contains all the necessary substances, except nitrogen. It is worthwhile to feed the soil with nitrous salts separately, since they will emit ammonia when used together with ash. Do not use ash to feed seedlings. Remember that each plant needs to be fed with organic compounds in due time. If you make them at the wrong time, then there is a risk of not getting the best crop.

Important! If you do not know how to fertilize properly, it is best to apply it to the soil before digging - in the fall or spring.

Advantages and disadvantages of organic fertilizers

The main advantage of organic top dressing is their low price. You yourself can make compost, which will not only saturate the soil with useful elements, but also improve the structure of the soil. It would seem that organic fertilizers consist of some advantages, but they have several disadvantages that need to be considered when using:

during preparation and spreading over the soil, the organic substance gives off an unpleasant and pungent odor;
if you add too much fertilizing, the plants will be saturated with nitrates;
with improper preparation of fertilizing, you can infect the soil with a nematode, helminths or fungi;
preparation and distribution of organic fertilizers over the site requires time and effort.

Important! One of the easiest ways to get organic nutrition is to make compost.

To do this, it is enough to mix cleanings, sawdust, pulled out weed grass and other waste in a special pit. After three years, the fertilizer can be applied to the ground.

What is related to mineral salts?

Mineral fertilizers can be found in almost every store for gardeners. They are sold in the form of fine granules, solutions or powders. On the one hand, the use of ready-made forms makes it easier to work with fertilizers, and on the other, it is important to follow all points of the instructions so as not to exceed the dosage.

Mineral salts are manufactured industrially. They are chemical compounds that are almost ready to use - just mix them with water or water well after making them into the ground.

You can divide them into groups:

Nitrogen dressing is necessary for enhanced plant growth. Depending on the compound used, they may contain from 20 to 46% nitrogen. Gardeners use: urea, ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate or water. Urea contains the most nitrogen; it is also called urea. However, it must be used carefully, as it acidifies the soil.
Phosphorus fertilizers are used much less often than nitrogen. They are necessary when the leaves of plants begin to acquire a purple hue or scarlet spots. Most often, double superphosphate is used for top dressing, since it contains more useful substances.
Boric fertilizers are needed almost as often as nitrogen fertilizers. If you notice the curvature of cucumbers, black marks on carrots or rotting of beets, then there is not enough boron in the soil. For a square meter of beds, only 3 grams of boric acid is enough. This amount will solve all problems.
Potash fertilizers are needed when marginal burns appear on the plants - the edges of the leaves turn white, while the cucumbers completely curl. In order to get rid of the deficiency of this substance, it is necessary to add potassium sulfate under the root. Additionally, you can water and spray with a solution of potassium chloride.

Important! Choose mineral fertilizers based on the needs of plants. Only in this case you will get a good harvest and do not overdose the top dressing.

Advantages and disadvantages of mineral fertilizing

Mineral and organic fertilizers are applied to achieve one goal - to get a good harvest. It is more convenient to use ready-made chemical mixtures. They are suitable for quickly getting rid of a deficiency of any trace element, while organics has a prolonged effect and is able to nourish plants throughout the season.

One of the main advantages of mineral top dressing is the acceleration of ripening and ensuring high productivity. In addition, each package of mineral fertilizers contains detailed instructions that will allow even beginners to use this supplement correctly.

The disadvantages of mineral salts include:

a brief effect of action (they need to be applied to the soil every year);

high cost (when compared with compost, which goes to gardeners for free);
the crop is not of the best quality;
the soil structure from the application of such fertilizers does not change.

Important! If your site is not the best soil for growing plants, then it is worth mixing it with organic top dressing. Add mineral supplements as needed when the plants show signs of one type of starvation.

Combined fertilizers

There is another type of top dressing - combined. They combine all the advantages of mineral salts and organics. Disadvantages of such fertilizers are absent. The most popular among these additives: Nitrofoska and Nitroammofoska. They contain organic components and salts, but the concentration of the latter is extremely low, so plants do not accumulate harmful substances in themselves.

Organomineral mixtures have a complex composition and can be made in the form of a dry mixture, solution or granules. They practically do not change the acidity of the soil, so they can be used on different soils. The only thing that combined fertilizers are not capable of is to make the soil more loose. If you have clay soil on the site, then it is worth using compost mixtures, peat and sand.

Combined mixtures have different compositions. Most often, nitrogen-phosphorus mixtures and variants with the addition of a third component, potassium, are found. Choosing what top dressing you will make on your site is based on the type of plant being grown and its needs. For example, for tomatoes, options with the addition of potassium are suitable, and for onions, a nitrogen-phosphorus composition is sufficient.

Currently, to form high yields and maintain soil fertility, summer residents everywhere use available mineral fertilizers, which contain elements removed from the soil by the crop. You need to know that tuks provide only a short-term increase in crop yields, while reducing the amount of humus in the soil, that is, the natural fertility of the soil.

In recent years, there have been a growing number of landowners who have switched to ecological farming. The basis of ecology is in this case the use of only natural products in everyday life, the receipt of which is impossible without returning to Mother Earth the substances that took the crop. A worthy substitute for "chemical well-being" are natural fertilizers - the waste of animals that eat plant foods. Such organic fertilizer is manure.

Mineral fertilizers are produced at chemical plants and, when introduced into the soil, are a foreign substance for plants that must be converted into an accessible form of use.

To become available to plants, nutrient salt elements must be converted to chelate form.
Mineral fertilizers contain only a narrow list of chemical elements necessary for plants.
Tuki contribute to the soil, taking into account its parameters and the needs of plants.
Mineral fertilizers do not contribute to the formation of humus, thereby reducing natural soil fertility.

The nutrients of organic fertilizers are more accessible to plants, as they are a product of animal activity, and in the ecosystem it is its natural element. The only limitation in agriculture: with improper agricultural practices, nitrites accumulate in fruits and vegetables. Organic waste during processing forms humus, which determines the level of soil fertility.

The following types of manure are obtained from animals:

cow (mullein);
horse;
pork;
bird (chicken);
rabbit
sheep, etc.

Each type of manure has its own characteristics and composition, differs in the duration of exposure to the soil.

Efficiency cow manure: it is most effective for 2–3 years on light sandy and sandy loamy soils and 4–6 years on heavy clay soils.

Bird droppings decomposes over the course of a year. This is the fastest organic fertilizer. It is convenient to use in top dressing. However, the concentration of bird droppings is so high that its use in the form of top dressing is possible only when diluted 10-12 times.

Horse dung - one of the best. Porous structure and rich chemical composition, high decomposition temperature, it is most effective when used in open ground and greenhouses. In connection with the mechanization of agriculture, the amount of horse manure in farms has decreased significantly. It has become less accessible than mullein.

Pig manure used by gardeners to a lesser extent. It contains a high nitrogen content (pungent ammonia odor), a large number of helminths. Fresh can not be used. Usually mixed with horse, add dolomite flour, compost for a year for natural disinfection (from helminths), and only then put into the soil. Pig manure is good because it has a high decomposition temperature. In combination with horse for a year of fermentation receive high-quality compost.

If necessary, manure of other animals and birds is used to improve soil performance and increase soil fertility.

Useful properties of manure

The basis of manure is the excrement of various animals mixed with litter (straw, grass, sawdust and other plant residues). According to the degree of decaying, manure can be divided into 3 categories:

fresh manure bedding and bedding;
slurry;
semi-matured manure;
rotted manure, or humus.

Fresh manure without bedding, not diluted with water - a thick, not fluid form, the consistency of homemade sour cream (can be cut with a knife like butter).

Fresh litter manure easily maintains the attached shape, mixed with straw or other materials (sawdust, small shavings).

Slurry is less concentrated than fresh manure. Basically, this is a nitrogen-potassium liquid fertilizer, which is used for feeding all garden and berry and vegetable crops. In order not to burn the plants, the slurry is bred in a ratio of 1: 5-6. Make after watering. Used to moisten when laying compost.

Half-matured - it lay in the open air for some time (3-6 months), partially dried and decomposed. The litter is rotten, easily crumbles in the hands. It is used as the main fertilizer for digging, especially on humus-poor soils.

Humus is a completely rotted loose mass in which the individual components of the litter and other inclusions are not visible. The most common of the natural fertilizers used by summer residents.

The humus content of nutrients and nitrogen, compared with fresh manure, is 2-3 times less, which allows you to use it directly in the growing season of plants for feeding.

The content of the main nutrients in manure

The composition of manure includes components that provide nutrition to plants, improve the physico-chemical properties of the soil, its structure. Being a source of organic matter, manure during fermentation forms humic compounds that increase the natural fertility of the soil.

Manure in any condition (fresh, semi-matured, humus) is a source of macro- and microelements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, silicon, sulfur, chlorine, magnesium, boron, manganese, cobalt, copper, zinc, molybdenum. Active manure microorganisms are the main source of energy for soil microflora.

All types of manure are alkaline, the alkalinity reaches pH \u003d 8-9 units. In cow manure it is 8.1, in horse manure - 7.8, in pig manure - 7.9 units. Naturally, their application alkalizes the soil, reducing acidity. The content of the main nutrients is presented in the averaged indicators of table 1.

Table 1. The chemical composition of the main types of manure and litter

The use of manure.

Unlike mineral fertilizers, the content of nutrients in organic fertilizers is much lower, but organics improve the physicochemical properties of the soil, loosen, increase the absorption capacity, enrich with beneficial microflora, and provide plants with necessary nutrients in an accessible, easily digestible form.

Table 2. The rate of introduction of manure

Rules for the use of fresh manure

Since fresh manure is the most concentrated fertilizer, it is introduced into the soil in autumn and winter on a field free of fruit and vegetable plants. Close up to a depth of 25-30, less often - up to 40 cm.

Spring application is provided only for middle and late crops. For early crops, manure is introduced only for autumn digging (Table 3).

Table 3. Frequency and rate of application of fresh cow manure

Culture	Application rate, kg / m²	Application Frequency
Onions, cabbage, garlic	4-6 kg / m²
Cucumbers, zucchini, squash, pumpkins, melons	6-8 kg / m²	From autumn or spring to dig
Tomatoes late, middle and late varieties of white cabbage	4-5 kg \u200b\u200b/ m², for cabbage up to 6 kg / m²	From autumn or spring to dig
Dill, celery	5-6 kg / m²	From autumn or spring to dig
Carrots, potatoes, beets	4 kg / m²	From autumn or spring to dig
Berry (currant, raspberry, gooseberry)	Layer up to 5 cm	Only in autumn annually
Pome fruits and stone fruits	Up to 3 kg for each tree	Autumn with an interval of 2-3 years
Strawberry wild-strawberry	10 kg / m² in row spacing	Autumn, 1 time in 3 years
Grape	Solution: 1 part mullein on 20 parts of water	In the fall, once every 2-4 years

In winter, fresh manure is scattered in the snow. After the snow melts, it falls onto the soil and is dug in the spring. Depth of embedment is the same as in autumn.

The application rate for snow is 1.5 times higher. This is due to the fact that during the winter some of the nutrients are lost (nitrogen). Usually manure is left in the pile before application for 2-3 months. During this period, from the high temperature of “burning manure”, part of the weed seeds die. If the manure from the barn immediately fell into the field, then it is better to leave it under steam, destroying weeds in the summer.

Remember that any crops, especially vegetables, overfed with organics, dramatically reduce keeping quality. Vegetables and especially root crops are more often affected by root rot, the incidence of late blight and powdery mildew increases. In order not to overfeed the plants, use the data in table 3.

Table 3. The volume of the mass of manure, kg / 10 l bucket

Using fresh mullein for dressing

Mullein can feed vegetables and horticultural crops during the summer season. For top dressing, low concentrated aqueous fermented solutions are used.

Solution preparation: any container (more conveniently a galvanized barrel) is filled 1/3 with manure, added to the top with water, and closed. Stir once a day. Fermentation lasts 1-2 weeks. This is a mother liquor.

To feed the berries and fruit trees, a working solution is prepared: 1 bucket of the mother liquor from the tank is diluted 3-4 times with water. Feeding is carried out in the phase of young leaves. The working solution is applied after watering under the root at the rate of 10 l of working solution per 1 m². Be sure to mulch.

For vegetable crops, a working solution is prepared based on 1 liter of a mother liquor of 8-10 liters of water. Top dressing is carried out during watering or after watering under mulching, 1-2 times during the growing season, alternating with mineral fertilizers (if necessary).

The use of semi-rotted manure

Semi-rotted manure is less concentrated and can be used directly as fertilizer or as mulch.

For top dressing, a solution is prepared in concentration: one part of fertilizer per 10 parts of water. Stir and contribute to garden and berry crops.

Trees are watered on the outer diameter of the crown to loosened soil or to furrows cut in 1-2 rows around the crown.

Under the bushes make top dressing retreating 15-20 cm from the bushes.

For vegetable crops in the furrows of the aisles (if they are wide) or in the furrows cut along the beds.

Under the root of the plants, a solution of half-ripened mullein cannot be poured.

Top dressing is covered with soil, if necessary, watered and mulched.

Semi-ripened mass is a good fertilizer for cabbage, pumpkin, spinach. With this fertilizer, these crops will be excellent predecessors for root crops, sweet pepper, tomatoes, and eggplant.

The use of rotted manure

Humus formation

Overripe manure or humus is the main source of humus in the soil. Humus is a homogeneous loose substance of a dark brown color, with a spring smell of a healthy soil substrate. It is formed by fermentation of manure under the influence of microorganisms. As a result, humus, humic acids and simpler mineral compounds are formed. The humus is light in composition. 1 m³ contains 700-800 kg of humus. In a standard 10 liter bucket, its amount is 6-7 kg. Healthy ripe humus is odorless.

Humus properties

Humus has the following agronomic properties:

improves soil porosity;
increases the ability to retain moisture;
enhances photosynthesis, thereby increasing crop yields;
activates the growth and development of plants;
increases resistance to diseases and pests;
populates the soil substrate with beneficial microflora;
reduces the accumulation of heavy metals in products;
improves the decorativeness of flower crops, etc.

How to cook high-quality humus?

allocate space in the shade for storing components
enclose with improvised material so that the front wall is open;
components are laid in layers, in 10-15 cm; components - straw, straw cutting, leaves, fresh manure, half-ripened;
each layer is shed with water or diluted slurry, mullein solution;
on top cover with a film or other material that does not let water through (from rain);
air access through vents with film shelter is required;
periodically shovel and in dry weather watered; humidity during fermentation in the range of 50-60%, temperature under + 25 ... + 30 * C;
to accelerate fermentation, it is recommended to shed the layers of components with preparations (Baikal EM-1, Ekomik Yield, Radiance-3 and others).

If all the requirements are met, a mature humus can be obtained within 1-2 months.

In addition to the proposed, there are other methods for the rapid processing of manure into humus or compost, which also goes to fertilizer and fertilizing garden crops. For example, vermicomposting using California worms, aerobic and anaerobic composting.

The use of humus in suburban areas

Humus is used for:

improving soil fertility;
fertilizers and fertilizing crops during the growing season;
preparation of soil mixtures for growing seedlings;
preparation of soil mixtures for indoor flowering crops, etc.

Rules for the use of humus

In humus, there are minimal ammonia residues that do not damage the root system of plants. Therefore, humus can be applied as the main fertilizer, or used in top dressing during the warm season.

During spring preparation of the soil for sowing / planting plants, humus in the recommended amounts is applied in a 10-15 cm layer of soil for digging. On average, 10-15 kg of humus are used per 1 m² of area.

Humus is used for all crops as mulch, which, rotting during the summer, serves as an additional fertilizer for cultivated plants.

Humus is included in most soil mixtures for growing seedlings and flower crops. But if for seedlings the soil mixture can contain up to 50% humus, then a moderate rate of fertilizer is applied under flower bed crops. Excess humus can cause "fattening" of the ageratum, eschsolzia, cosmea. To the detriment of flowering, plants will increase their vegetative mass.

For indoor plants, the humus rate is up to 1/3 of the volume of the prepared substrate.

Raspberries and other shrubs can be mulched with a 5 cm layer of mulch from spring to July without planting in the soil.

In greenhouses, humus is applied to the beds (in addition to the main substrate) in the first year at a rate of 40-60 kg / m². In subsequent years, before the change of soil, 15–25 kg / m² are applied annually.

In summer, the humus is bred with water for foliar and root dressing at the rate of not more than 1 part per 10-15 parts of water.

Humus, like fresh manure, is used to equip warm beds.

A short list of the use of manure and its processed species clearly highlighted the benefits of organic matter to the land. Using organic fertilizers, you can solve many issues of home gardening and horticulture, including the main one - increasing the natural fertility of the site.

Dear readers! Share your methods of processing and using manure, humus, compost for garden and horticultural crops. Share your experience in subsistence farming with minimal use of fertilizers and other chemicals that are unusual for the soil, to increase soil fertility, increase productivity, and increase the immunity of crops to diseases and pests.

Results of the Stanford study.

Recently, articles on the topic “debunking the myth of the benefits of organic products” based on the discovery of scientists at Stanford University have appeared in the vast Belarusian, Ukrainian, and Russian Internet spaces. What is behind all this? Turning to the original source, we found that the studies and cited excerpts from their results really had a place to be. However, unfortunately, many of the above articles are deprived of objective and full coverage of the results of the study. It looks like a "spoiled phone."

This study was not of an experimental nature, but in the course of it, all available materials on studies on this topic conducted prior to 2012 were consolidated and thoroughly studied.

The duration of all studies ranged from two days to two years. Apparently, therefore, they did not consider the aspect of human health when consuming organic or ordinary food, but only the chemical composition of the products. The subject of the review was the content of nutrients or the content of bacteria, fungi, pesticides in products (fruits, vegetables, cereals, meat, milk, poultry and eggs fell under the magnifying glass).

According to the results of studies, scientists noted a small difference in health benefits when eating organic products instead of conventional ones. No difference in vitamin content. The only element whose amount is much higher in organic products is phosphorus, which can be significant for people with a deficiency of this substance. The amount of protein and fat, including omega-3 fatty acids in organic milk - contrary to assumptions - turned out to be comparable to the value of these indicators in ordinary milk. However, research leader Dr. Dena Bravata of the Center for Health Policy at Stanford University stresses that the difference in consumption of organic and inorganic food is really not significant - only if it concerns the nutrition of an adult, guided exclusively by their health. Those. no other environmental factors are taken into account here.

Scientists also failed to identify any specific fruits and vegetables for which the organicity in terms of usefulness would be fundamentally decisive. As a member of the research team commented on the results, the doctor Crystal Smith Spangler“Some people think that organic food is always healthier and more nutritious, and we were a little surprised when we didn't find it.”

However, scientists have stated that conventional products are at a 30% greater risk of exposure to pesticides than organic products. It is noteworthy that the organic origin of vegetables and fruits, according to their conclusion, does not guarantee 100% absence of pesticides in them. They also noted that, in general, the content of pesticides in the products does not exceed the permissible level.

Two studies of the effects of diet on children showed a higher level of pesticides in the urine of children eating intensive agricultural products, compared to those who ate organic food. At the same time, the influence of this factor on children's health has not been investigated. The same situation with antibiotic-resistant bacteria in chicken and pork: the difference in indicators is significant, but the effect on the health of people eating such products has not been studied.

Therefore, scientists did not find strict evidence that organic foods are more nutritious than regular foods, or that consuming organic foods reduces health risks, but at the same time consuming organic foods reduces the risk of pesticide intoxication.

However, as the doctor notes Dena BravataThe scoring of such research results is not intended to discourage people from buying organic products, their goal is to inform the public. At the same time, she notes that in addition to the figures included in the research area, there are many other important factors affecting consumer preferences (in favor of organic products): these are the taste qualities of products, and the impact of intensive agriculture on environmental changes, biodiversity and etc., which for many is the reason that determines their choice.

The researchers themselves emphasize the heterogeneity of the data that they worked on (and there were more than 200 studies using various methods), as well as the unaccounted for factors of physical impact on the products (such as weather conditions or soil type), as well as the huge variety in methods of conducting organic farming, is also very strongly affecting the chemical composition of the grown products.

“In this study, one fundamental error strikes me:“ nutrients ”and“ health benefits ”- what is it? Science has an exhaustive list of substances contained in products, which together gives an idea of \u200b\u200bnutrition. In the same way, the chemical composition uniquely determined affects the taste of the product. Unfortunately, many studies are conducted without due objectivity. They study the individual substances and their effects instead of studying the effects and synergies of the chemical elements in the composition. ”- comments the study David Brown, expert in permaculture, Australia.

Let me remind you that the studies were conducted in the USA, and all the same indicators in other countries may vary. A heterogeneity of data reduces the objectivity of conclusions. Although due to the level of development of organic farming in Belarus, it is possible that the situation in our country is just that.

At the same time, these statements are unlikely to convince us of the lack of alternative to our choice. Rather, they should spur us on to a more intense desire to create in Belarus all the necessary conditions for growing more environmentally friendly, healthy products. Moreover, in addition to products, intensive (traditional) farming “gives” us a worsening environmental situation.

If the word "products" refers to food, then it seems that ideally they should be organic. But at the present level of being, things are not so simple. Synthetic products have become so firmly rooted in our lives that such concepts have appeared: organic products, eco- and bio-products, organic food. Let's get together what it is.

How are organic foods grown?

We present to your attention a number of requirements, compliance with which is necessary at the initial stage of agricultural work to obtain organic products:

Cultivation of crops must be done in ecologically clean areas. This means that the fields where this agricultural product is grown should be located away from motorways, large industrial enterprises, landfills and other objects polluting the environment.
Land for growing plants, which can later be certified as organic products, should not be treated with synthetic fertilizers and other agrochemical methods for at least 3 years.
For sowing, it is necessary to use clean seeds that have not been genetically modified.

At first glance, it seems that all of the above 3 points are easily doable. But this is far from the case. Many modern agricultural lands are tightly ringed by large industrial centers. And for the cultivation of organic food products, it is necessary to develop new cultivated areas remote from objects polluting the environment.

Clean seed has also become a big enough problem. It is very difficult to determine the purity of seeds without laboratory analysis. This is almost impossible to do. Nevertheless, it seems that humanity has regained consciousness and finally thought, but what are we eating? And the fact that the concept of organic products has appeared, says that these thoughts have moved us from the dead point of thoughtless consumption of everything that unscrupulous manufacturers offer us.

What processed foods can be attributed to bio-products?

Of course, it is wonderful to eat vegetables directly from the garden of your own garden, without exposing them at all or exposing them to only minimal heat treatment. This is good, but not accessible to everyone. Society is mainly urbanized, and many do not have their own vegetable garden.

Is there organic food in supermarkets? And in general, eco-products - what is it? If we talk about processed food, then bio-products are those that include at least 95% of the components produced in an organically certified way. We list the main features of eco-products:

Do not contain synthetic colorants, flavors, thickeners, flavor enhancers.
They are produced without the use of harmful technologies (gasification, chemical conservation, atomic fission, radiation exposure, etc.)
Almost all of the ingredients that make up the processed product are organic products grown in compliance with all requirements.

Who certifies eco-products?

In the world there is the International Federation of Ecological Agricultural Movement (IFOAM), created in 1972. It consists of 760 organizations from 100 countries. There are basic IFOAM standards developed over the years, according to which food products are assigned or not assigned the status of organic products. There are also a number of principles that guide IFOAM in its activities:

The principle of health - the whole ecosystem of the earth, including humans, must be healthy, as its integral component.
The principle of justice is a fair and respectful attitude to the earth, nature, animals and people.
The principle of care - the production of agricultural products should not deplete the soil, you should think about subsequent generations and leave them a legacy of fertile and well-groomed soil, and not the desert.
The principle of environmental friendliness - organic agriculture works taking into account natural cycles, without violating and not introducing a discord into nature, but, on the contrary, maintaining and improving the habitat.

Based on these principles and standards, enterprises and organizations involved in the production of organic food and applying for a distinctive sign for organic products, after checking the conditions of production, is assigned such a sign. It is very honorable and profitable for any brand to become the owner of the ORGANIC FARMING mark if the product is manufactured in the EU countries, or the USDA ORGANIC mark if it is made in the USA. However, on the eco-food produced in the EU countries, there may also be a national sign of the country of origin. Japan has also introduced standards for the production of organic agricultural products and also assigns its mark to worthy.

Pricing policy of enterprises producing eco-products

In the EU and the USA, the price of organic products is 40-60% higher than the prices of ordinary products. This is due to a number of objective reasons:

Processing fields without herbicides and pesticides requires additional labor, which affects the price of eco-products.
Without chemical treatment, the ripening time is increased and the shelf life is reduced, which also requires a lot of costs, efforts to save and timely delivery of the organic product to the distribution network.
The process of certification of fields, seeds, products is not only complex and lengthy, but also quite expensive, which also affects the final price of organic products.

To the credit of the governments of the EU and the USA it should be noted that they, understanding the importance and prospects of organic farming, allocate government subsidies in support of farmers and buyers. Otherwise, the price of organic food would be even higher. Unfortunately, in the post-Soviet space there are not only government subsidies for the development of organic farming, but even no standards that determine the environmental cleanliness of a product.

So organic food is delivered from countries where there is less sown area, but the desire to grow an environmentally friendly product is greater. Given the costs of delivery and customs, these products are no longer 40-60% more expensive, but 300-500%.

In the territory of the post-Soviet countries, the labeling of food products “bio”, “eco”, “natur” does not carry any semantic load, but can only be considered as a marketing move. Therefore, it is quite difficult to find real eco-products from a domestic manufacturer.

True, there is another wonderful source of organic products. This is agricultural products grown in the gardens of summer cottages and rural plots for themselves, and therefore, without toxic chemicals. Surpluses of such products are exported to the markets and are worthy of our attention and nutrition. And although this product does not please the eye with dummy beauty, but its price is affordable and there is more benefit from it than from vegetables with a metallic flavor brought from abroad.

At this stage of evolution, no man can imagine his life without chemistry. Indeed, every day all over the world various chemical reactions take place, without which the existence of all life is simply impossible. In general, in chemistry there are two sections: inorganic and organic chemistry. To understand their main differences, you first need to understand what these sections are.

Inorganic chemistry

It is known that this field of chemistry is studying all physical and chemical properties of inorganic substances, as well as their compounds, while taking into account their composition, structure, as well as the ability to various reactions with the use of reagents and in their absence.

They are both simple and complex. Using inorganic substances, new technically important materials are created that are in demand among the population. To be precise, this section of chemistry deals with the study of those elements and compounds that are not created by wildlife and are not biological material, but are obtained by synthesis from other substances.

In the course of some experiments, it turned out that living beings are capable of producing many inorganic substances, and there is also the possibility of synthesizing organic substances in the laboratory. But, despite this, it is simply necessary to separate these two areas from one another, since there are some differences in the mechanisms of the reactions, structure and properties of the substances in these areas that do not allow combining everything into one section.

Allocate simple and complex inorganic substances. Simple substances include two groups of compounds - these are metals and non-metals. Metals are those elements that are inherent in all metallic properties, and there is also a metallic bond between them. This group includes the following types of elements: alkali metals, alkaline earth, transition, light, semimetals, lanthanides, actinides, as well as magnesium and beryllium. Of all the officially recognized elements of the periodic system, ninety-six elements out of one hundred eighty-one possible, that is, more than half, are attributed to metals.

The most famous elements from non-metallic groups are oxygen, silicon, and hydrogen, while those that are less common are arsenic, selenium, and iodine. Helium and hydrogen are also referred to simple non-metals.

Complex inorganic substances are divided into four groups:

Oxides
Hydroxides.
Salt.
Acids

Organic chemistry

This area of \u200b\u200bchemistry explores substances that consist of carbon and other elements, those that come into contact with it, that is, create the so-called organic compounds. These can be substances of an inorganic nature, since a hydrocarbon can attach many different chemical elements to itself.

Most often, organic chemistry is involved synthesis and processing of substances and their compounds from raw materials of plant, animal or microbiological origin, although, especially recently, this science has grown far beyond the designated framework.

The main classes of organic compounds include: hydrocarbons, alcohols, phenols, halogen-containing compounds, ethers and esters, aldehydes, ketones, quinones, nitrogen-containing and sulfur-containing compounds, carboxylic acids, heterocyclic, organometallic compounds and polymers.

Substances studied by organic chemistry are very diverse, because due to the presence of hydrocarbons in their composition, they can bind to many other various elements. Of course, organic substances are also part of living organisms in the form of fats, proteins and carbohydrates, which perform various vital functions. The most important of which are energy, regulatory, structural, protective and others. They are part of every cell, every tissue and organ of any living creature. Without them, the normal functioning of the body as a whole, of the nervous system, reproductive and others, is impossible. This means that all organic substances play a huge role in the existence of all life on earth.

The main differences between them

In principle, these two sections are interconnected, but also have some differences. First of all, the composition of organic substances necessarily includes carbon, unlike inorganic, in which it may not be included. There are also differences in structure, in the ability to react to various reagents and created conditions, in structure, in basic physical and chemical properties, in origin, in molecular weight and so on.

In organic matter molecular structure is much more complicatedthan inorganic ones. The latter can melt only at sufficiently high temperatures and are extremely difficult to decompose, in contrast to organic, which have a relatively low melting point. Organic substances have a fairly bulk molecular weight.

Another important difference is that only organic substances have the ability form compounds with the same set of molecules and atomsbut which have different layout options. Thus, completely different substances are obtained that differ in physical and chemical properties. That is, organic matter is prone to such a property as isomerism.