The Good Gardeners Association (GGA) suspect that 'factory' or 'chemical farming' is to blame for the impoverishment of our soil and has been conducting trials comparing the mineral content of broad beans and onions grown with a chemical fertiliser or organic mushroom compost (and various mixes). Initial findings indicate a direct correlation between mineral content and the proportion of organic compost used. The mineral content of the vegetables grown in pure organic compost was over double that of those grown using just the chemical fertiliser.

The GGA explains that a strong presence of mycorrhizal-forming fungi in the soil (which occurs naturally in the soil) helps plants absorb minerals but that chemical fertilisers kill the fungi off.

See also Organic crops more nutritous