Fertilization of organic fruit orchards strongly relies on authorized external commercial fertilizers leading to nutrient flows from conventional into organic farming systems. The use of alternative fertilizers including legume-based materials and non-contentious external commercial fertilizers, should be based on locally available resourced. An integrated approach is recommended.

The review is published in the Journal of Agronomy. Healthy soils are essential for progressive agronomic activities. Organic fertilization positively affects agro-ecosystems by stimulating plant growth, enhancing crop productivity and fruit quality and improving soil fertility.