Compost is a substance added to the soil to help plants grow. Farmers use several types of fertilizers to produce abundant crops, and gardeners use fertilizers to produce strong, large flowers and abundant vegetables in home gardens. The workers also take care of the lawns and golf courses by scattering manure to obtain dense green areas.

Fertilizers contain nutrients (foods) that are essential for plant growth. Some fertilizers are made from organic materials, such as animal manure or sewage, and others are made from minerals or factory-produced compounds. Man has used fertilizers for thousands of years, even at times when he was unaware of their usefulness to plants, and long before man understood the importance of plant nutrition. He noticed that animal dung, wood ashes, and some other minerals helped plants grow vigorously. During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, researchers discovered that certain chemical elements are necessary for plant nutrition.

Today’s farmers use large amounts of fertilizers every year around the world. The increase in production due to the addition of fertilizers amounted to about a quarter of the global crop production. Without composting, larger areas of land would have to be cultivated and more labor used to produce the same amount. Fertilizer