Photo credit: FREEPIK
Cut and carry fertilizers are organic fertilizers produced from plants. Those plants are often leguminous species. The plants are grown in one place and, after being harvested, transported to another location and applied as fertilizers. In between they might be dried and processed into grains. The growing of the fertilizing crops is often done on less arable fields. Once they are mature, they are brought to agricultural areas where they can contribute to soil fertility.
Such a cropping system can result in plant-based fertilization strategies that reduce the need of animal or artificial fertilizers. The production and application lead to less direct greenhouse gas emissions. By adding considerable amounts of organic matter, the fertilization strategy can contribute to enhancing the soil structure, supporting soil life and if applied in the form of a mulch layer, plant-based fertilizers can reduce weed pressure.
A downside of this technique is the land requirements, as external land is required for the mineral input in other regions. Therefore, less fertile soils are often used for this method. Additionally, the approach can be costly as it requires additional land and transporting materials that have a relatively low nutrient density.