Effects Of Chemical Fertilizers On Plants And Soil

Write a report on effect of chemical fertilizer on plants & soil?

The report aims at providing essential information about fertilizers that form an essential tool in increasing plant growth and production. The report focuses on issues such as the concept of fertilizer, its composition, and types of chemical fertilizers. It also highlights the advantages of fertilizers along with the overall effects of fertilizers on soil and plants.

Fertilizers are considered to be one of the most essential tools for gardeners or farmers. Any soil is rich in some of the nutrients while deprived of others. Use of fertilizers significantly supplements the nutrients that the soil lacks and also increases the chances of successful growth of various plants and enable good yield of crops. Modern synthetic fertilizers comprise of mainly phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium compounds with added nutrients. This use has improved the quality as well as the quantity of the available food. Fertilizers usually replace the chemical elements that are absorbed from the soil by plants. These are even aimed at enhancing the growing potential of soil with enhancement of environment than that of the natural soil.

Fertilizers are basically used to replenish the soil. With the gradual growth and maturation of the plants they consume the nutrients of the soil with water (Tang, n.d. 140-145). With time these nutrients get depleted. On account of this, plants become sick and incapable to produce further foliage. These nutrients include nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, zinc and iron. Fertilizers are immensely helpful in promoting the soil fertility as well as enhancing plane growth. Health of the soil is based on the balance of macronutrients as well as micronutrients, including that of microbial health.

The basic elements in fertilizers include nutrients that are essential for plant growth. Normally, plants utilize nitrogen within the synthesis of nucleic acids, proteins and hormones. When there is lack of nitrogen in plants, reduced growth as well as yellowing of leaves occur. Plants need phosphorus which is a component of nucleic acids, proteins and phospholipids. It is important to generate energy for driving metabolic chemical reactions. In the absence of adequate phosphorus, growth of plants may get reduced (Sinha, Gupta and Rana, 1986, 411-418). Potassium is used within protein synthesis as well as other processes. In the absence of adequate potassium, yellowing or spots of dead tissue may arise. Magnesium, sulfur and calcium are essential for plant growth. These are included in small amounts only in fertilizers since these exist naturally in soil. Some other micronutrients required by plants are copper, iron, chlorine, zinc, manganese, boron and molybdenum that function as cofactors in reactions. Several substances are applied to provide required nutrients for effective fertilizers. Chemical fertilizers are usually made from various ingredients which are organic in nature (Olayinka and Adebayo, 1985, 47-56). They are made by chemical process which varies among various types of fertilizers. Most of the chemical fertilizers involve proportion of three basic nutrients required for plant growth, namely nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Different types of chemical fertilizers exist, all made to be applied in various soil conditions of different crops or plants. Major chemical fertilizers contains adequate amount of three basic nutrients known as macronutrients. If soil lacks any of these nutrients in adequate amount, successful plant growth as well as production may suffer. Most of the brands are labeled as 10-20-30. These indicate the content of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the fertilizer.

Composed Elements in chemical fertilizers

In the present day productivity has been enhanced majorly and this is due to the use of fertilizers. Fertilizers are advanced means of promoting as well as enhancing productivity (Marschner and Waldemar Wilczynski, 1991, 229-236). Fertilizers are grouped into different types based on their comprising elements, strength and other attributes. Each fertilizer bears sufficient level of required chemicals, elements and minerals for ensuring healthy plant growth. These are basically blended combination of one or more organic or inorganic compounds as well as chemicals required by plants to grow successfully and get adequate nourishments. These are basically blended combination of one or more organic or inorganic chemicals or compounds that cause enhanced growth of plants,

Chemical fertilizers are usually made from various ingredients which are organic in nature. They are made by chemical process which varies among various types of fertilizers. Most of the chemical fertilizers involve proportion of three basic nutrients required for plant growth, namely nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Different types of chemical fertilizers exist, all made to be applied in various soil conditions of different crops or plants. Major chemical fertilizers contains adequate amount of three basic nutrients known as macronutrients. If soil lacks any of these nutrients in adequate amount, successful plant growth as well as production may suffer. Most of the brands are labeled as 10-20-30. These indicate the content of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the fertilizer.

Chemical fertilizers contain other nutrients such as urea and ammonia. There may be necessity for fertilizers with sufficient iron, copper, zinc, manganese and sulfur to the soil. These exist in small percentage and are known as micronutrients (Mahrous, Mikkelsen and Hafez, 1983, 455-472). These are also required for healthy growth of plants. Nitrogenous fertilizers are named so chemicals are combined with nitrogen element. Some common combinations are urea, ammonia and sodium. Also, phosphorus fertilizers have chemicals combined with phosphorus element. All the chemical fertilizers that have chloride or salts combined with increased percentage of potassium are called potash. Chemical fertilizers occur in three forms. Based on the constituents, fertilizers may be categorized as organic fertilizers and inorganic fertilizers.

Organic Fertilizers – These fertilizers comprise of completely or partially decayed organic materials that are bio-degradable to a great extent. This involves animal waste, rotten green manure or other natural elements that gets added to humus content within the soil and gets nourished (Mahmoud and Ibrahim, 2012, 88-126). Plants use these with the aid of microorganisms within the soil that decompose the total matter thereby releasing nutrients and making the whole thing soluble in nature so that plants may absorb them easily. Some organic fertilizers are manure, compost, fish and bone meal, etc.

Type of chemical fertilizers

Inorganic fertilizers – Any chemical fertilizer is known as inorganic fertilizer when the constituent elements originate from synthetic means. This leads them to be non-degradable. To bring about sustainability and increased growth in plants and crops, fertilizers are added to soil in the right amount. These fertilizers are prepared by the right amount of natural elements required by plants to bring about healthy as well as easy growth. They bear one or more essential nutrients like phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium and various other nutrients. When added to the soil, the nutrients fulfill the required demands of plants, thereby enabling them to make up for the lacked nutrients (Lian and Juang, 1993, 245-266). With the gradual growth and maturation of the plants they consume the nutrients of the soil with water. With time these nutrients get depleted. On account of this, plants become sick and incapable to produce further foliage. These nutrients include nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, zinc and iron. Chemical fertilizers contain other nutrients such as urea and ammonia (Tóth, 2010, 2568-2576). There may be necessity for fertilizers with sufficient iron, copper, zinc, manganese and sulfur to the soil. These exist in small percentage and are known as micronutrients. These are also required for healthy growth of plants. Nitrogenous fertilizers are named so chemicals are combined with nitrogen element.

Fertilizers, be natural or chemical are just like food to plants. The most significant advantage of chemical fertilizers is that these cost much less than that of organic fertilizers. The increased price of organic fertilizers is only because of the need to harvest the organic material for using in fertilizers and also due to increased costs of being certified organic by government regulatory agencies. Fertilizers when used upon plants provide greater nutritional contents to plants and these are essential for their growth and increased crop yields. Fertilizers usually replace the chemical elements that are absorbed from the soil by plants (Lian and Juang, 1993, 245-266). These are even aimed at enhancing the growing potential of soil with enhancement of environment than that of the natural soil. Fertilizers are basically used to replenish the soil. With the gradual growth and maturation of the plants they consume the nutrients of the soil with water. With time these nutrients get depleted. On account of this, plants become sick and incapable to produce further foliage. These nutrients include nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, zinc and iron. Chemical fertilizers contain other nutrients such as urea and ammonia. There may be necessity for fertilizers with sufficient iron, copper, zinc, manganese and sulfur to the soil. These exist in small percentage and are known as micronutrients (Knutson, 1990, 118-135). These are also required for healthy growth of plants. Nitrogenous fertilizers are named so chemicals are combined with nitrogen element. Some common combinations are urea, ammonia and sodium. Also, phosphorus fertilizers have chemicals combined with phosphorus element.

Effect of Chemical Fertilizers on Plants and Soil

Chemical fertilizers are known to not only provide nourishments to plants and microbes, but also affect adversely to the soil life, particularly in the concentrated state or that if water soluble. Neutralization as well as acidification of the soil is harmful to microbes that basically depend upon enzyme. Enzymes are active only in particular pH. Else it slows down the enzyme reaction. Micronutrients act as activators of enzymes (Iwashima et al., 2012, 783-792). In this respect, ammonium sulphate is quite strong as biocide that hinders nitrogen fixation process and thereby kills earthworms as well as nematode. Superphosphate imposes negative effect upon free-living nitrogen fixing bacteria. Soil animals as well as soil microbes require mineral nutrients just like plants. Chemical fertilizers are beneficial for soil life, and this in turn helps availability of fertilizers for plants (Kitou and Yoshida, 1994, 211-220). Hence, bacteria that decompose cellulose require calcium as well as phosphorus, but availability of phosphorus or zinc is based on soil life. However, efficiency of chemical fertilizers lessens soil life.

The most crucial issue that is being faced by the use of chemical fertilizers is that of contamination of groundwater. Fertilizers containing nitrogen gets broken down into nitrates and thus travel through the soil (Gong, Yan and Wang, 2011, 85-94). As it is water-soluble and may be contained in groundwater for years and years, the inclusion of increased nitrogen for several years may impart an accumulative effect. Research shows that urea which is a popular fertilizer produces emanation of ammonia and also contributes in acid rain, ozone depletion and contamination of groundwater on account of nitrous oxide by the process of de-nitrification. Along with enhanced use presently and in future, this issue may enhance several fold in the years to come (Clements, 1963, 276-294). Contamination of groundwater may be related to goiter, gastric cancer, hypertension, stomach cancer, testicular cancer and malformations. Nitrogen in excess amount from air or water-borne fertilizers often causes respiratory problems, different cancers, cardiac diseases, enhances allergenic pollen production, and severely affect various vector-borne diseases such as malaria, West Nile virus and cholera. One of the most crucial impacts of chemical fertilizers is that of methamoglobinemia. It is known as Blue Baby Syndrome in infants. Such contamination of nitrogen in groundwater results in marine dead zones (Beal, 1912, 130-131). The increased level of nitrates causes an influx of plant life that consumes all oxygen and this is chocking for all aquatic ecosystem. There is also use of raw sludge as a fertilizer and this enhances the risk of disease.

Impact of Chemical Fertilizers on Soil

Some recent concerns regarding environmental impacts of using synthetic fertilizers have caused us to consider synthetic fertilizers as the most appreciable alternative to organic fertilizers. These synthetic fertilizers need more fossil fuels for production as well as creation of more greenhouse gases than that of organic fertilizers (Ville and Fesquet, 1872, 212-225). Major chemical fertilizers contains adequate amount of three basic nutrients known as macronutrients. If soil lacks any of these nutrients in adequate amount, successful plant growth as well as production may suffer. Most of the brands are labeled as 10-20-30. These indicate the content of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the fertilizer.

Chemical fertilizers contain other nutrients such as urea and ammonia. There may be necessity for fertilizers with sufficient iron, copper, zinc, manganese and sulfur to the soil. These exist in small percentage and are known as micronutrients. These are also required for healthy growth of plants. Nitrogenous fertilizers are named so chemicals are combined with nitrogen element. Some common combinations are urea, ammonia and sodium.

Conclusion:

Thus from the above study, we may conclude that fertilizers are basically used to replenish the soil. With the gradual growth and maturation of the plants they consume the nutrients of the soil with water. With time these nutrients get depleted. On account of this, plants become sick and incapable to produce further foliage. These nutrients include nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, zinc and iron. Fertilizers are immensely helpful in promoting the soil fertility as well as enhancing plane growth. Health of the soil is based on the balance of macronutrients as well as micronutrients, including that of microbial health (Wiley, 1894, 448-466). Various research are being conducted that focus on lessening the harmful impacts on environment by that of fertilizer usage and also less expensive fertilizer sources. These would make it more environment-friendly with improved process of application.

References

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Tang, Y. (n.d.). The use of chemical fertilizers in the milkfish ponds of Taiwan. Taipei: Chinese-American Joint Commission on Rural Reconstruction.

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