Definition

Noun: A natural substance added to soil to improve its fertility and help plants grow, derived from living or once-living organisms (animal or plant matter), as opposed to being manufactured through industrial chemical processes.

Usage

Organic fertiliser is used as a countable or uncountable noun. It refers to the material itself. - Countable: "We applied two different organic fertilisers to the test plots." - Uncountable: "This garden thrives on organic fertiliser."

Examples

• The farmer switched from chemical to organic fertiliser to improve the long-term health of his soil.
• Compost and manure are common types of organic fertiliser.
• Using organic fertiliser enriches the soil with essential nutrients and beneficial microbes.

Advanced Usage

• "to be rich in": Used to describe the nutrient content of the fertiliser.
  • Well-rotted manure is an organic fertiliser rich in nitrogen.
• Conceptual use in discussions about sustainability:
  • The principles of regenerative agriculture mandate the use of organic fertiliser.

Variants and Related Words

• Organic fertilizer (noun): The standard American English spelling.
• Soil amendment (noun): A broader term for any material added to soil to improve its physical or chemical properties; organic fertilisers are a type of soil amendment.
• Natural fertiliser (noun): A near-synonym, though it may not strictly imply a biological origin (e.g., crushed rock minerals).

Synonyms

• Manure: Animal dung used for fertilising land.
• Compost: Decayed organic material used as a fertiliser.
• Green manure: A growing crop (e.g., clover) that is ploughed into the soil to enrich it.

Antonyms

• Synthetic fertiliser (noun): A fertiliser manufactured through chemical processes.
• Chemical fertiliser (noun): A fertiliser composed of refined or processed inorganic compounds.
• Inorganic fertiliser (noun): A fertiliser not derived from living matter.

Related Phrases

• "to apply organic fertiliser": The act of putting it on the soil.
  • It's best to apply organic fertiliser in the early spring.
• "source of organic fertiliser": Refers to where it comes from.
  • Our farm's main source of organic fertiliser is composted plant waste.

Noun

1. a fertilizer that is derived from animal or vegetable matter