Question

Use of chemical fertilizers on environment methodology

Answer 1

Chemical fertilizers provide the essential nutrients for plant growth. Ammonium sulphate, ammonium nitrate, ammonium phosphate, ammonium chloride and urea are some chemical fertilizers.

But they can have a negative impact on the environment. If they are allowed to run off into the water sources they can pollute the underground water. They can destroy the structure of the soil. If chemical fertilizers are used for a very long time they can disturb the beneficial microbial ecosystems, change the soil pH, increase pests, and contribute to the release of greenhouse gases. Toxic chemicals like arsenic, uranium and cadmium may accumulate in the soil and eventually enter the fruits and vegetables.

So chemical fertilizers can be useful and harmful. They have to be used properly in order to benefit from them. A proper knowledge of the application of fertilizers can help to use them suitably to increase the yield of crops. In order to use them properly:

1. Choose the fertilizer according to the nature of the soil.

2. Use a chemical fertilizer and an organic fertilizer.

3. Choose the right method of fertilization.

Answer 2

For the plants to grow and thrive, some chemical compounds are necessary. These chemical compounds mainly consists of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. These fertilizers promote plant growth, flowering and fruiting by increasing the fertility of soil. Chemical fertilizers are less expensive as compared to organic fertilizers but inspite of all these advantages, the use of chemical fertilizers have some drawbacks as well. Some of them are:
1. The biggest issue which arises due to the use of chemical fertilizer is the groundwater contamination which have been linked with many types of cancers.
2. It also contributes to acid rain and ozone depletion.
3. Excessive use of synthetic nitrogen results in the reduction of soil's natural organic content.
4. Long term use of chemical fertilizers effects the role of nitrogen fixing bacteria as there will be less water and air in the soil. Eventually there will be less oxygen in the soil which slows the growth of soil microbiology.