Distinguish between fertilizer and manure. Give suitable examples. What are advantages and disadvantages of using fertilizer?

Manures

(i) They are organic in nature.

(ii) They are generally insoluble in water.

(iii) They are not nutrient specific.

(iv) They are biodegradable.

(v) They are voluminous and bulky,so difficult to store and carry.

(vi) They provide humus to the soil.

Examples - compost and green manure.

Fertilizers

(i) They are inorganic in nature.

(ii) They are generally soluble in water.

(iii) They are nutrient specific.

(iv) They are non-biodegradable.

(v) They can be easily stored and are easy to carry.

(vi) They do not provide humus to the soil.

Examples - urea and ammonium sulphate.

Advantages of Fertilizers:

(i) They are easy to store, transport and apply to crops.

(ii) Being soluble in water, they are readily absorbed by the crop plants.

(iii) They are nutrient specific and can be selected according to the specific nature of the soil.

Disadvantages of Fertilizers:

(i) They are costly.

(ii) These are the chemicals, which when washed away with rain water, pollute the water bodies and affect the environment and its species.