Question

State the difference between manure and fertilizer.

Answer 1

Hint: Both manure and fertilizer are used for increasing the fertility of the soil and providing the plant with essential nutrients that would help in its growth and development thereby providing a better yield of crop plants. Manure is a natural product while fertilizer is an industrial product.

Complete answer:
Difference between manure and fertilizer

Manure	Fertilizer
It is an organic substance that is formed naturally in the fields by the decomposition of plants and animal wastes.	It is an organic substance that is produced in industries or factories.
It provides humus to the soil.	It does not provide humus to the soil.
It is not very rich in essential plant nutrients.	It is rich in essential plant nutrients i.e., nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium.
It does not cause environmental pollution.	Excessive use of fertilizers can cause water pollution.
Production of manure helps in the recycling of farm wastes.	Production of fertilizers cannot replenish the organic matter of the soil.
It is less soluble in water; hence, it is absorbed by the plants very slowly.	Fertilizers, being readily soluble in water are absorbed rapidly by the plants.
Cost effective or cheaper.	Costly or expensive.

Note: Manure and fertilizer differ in several ways. Among them, fertilizer is rich in essential plant nutrients and is readily absorbed by the plants thereby leading to the excessive use of fertilizers. This excessive usage of fertilizer can cause harmful effects i.e., deteriorating the soil quality and causing water pollution. So, farmers must employ organic farming techniques i.e., use manure instead of fertilizers to maintain the soil as well as the water quality apart from increasing the yield and quality of crop plants.