Nitrogen, Phosphorus, And Potassium

In the 1990’s cereals and grain were popular in Africa, with over 60 percent of the land used for these crops (ita 2004). From the 1930’s to the 1990’s Africa saw a reduction of 13 percent in agriculture’s share (ita 2004). During the 1970’s and 1980’s, there was a period of drought that affected both the crops and native plant in the area (Boffa Dixon Garrity 2012), which may have contributed to the decline of agriculture’s share. Also, in 1992 the production of corn fell from 10 million to 3 million tons, due to the drought (ita 2004).

It is also affordability, convenience, and effectiveness in nourishing plants; however it can also have disadvantages when using chemical based fertilizers. Plants will show signs of lacking nutrient the inorganic fertilizer was separate help over organic choices, it depends on soil organisms to first, break down the organic substance before the nutrients can be out. Inorganic fertilizer’s fast delivery elements and minerals eliminate this potential problem. Inorganic fertilizer, which is often reasonably priced, consists of mineral-based nutrients manufactured for instant application on crops. Unlike the organic variety, inorganic fertilizer does not need to decompose over time to supply nutrients to plants. Inorganic fertilizer contained balanced amounts of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus to supply plants and to grow it faster. These are the substance of chemical gain from the processes in cultivating the first one is urea. Nitrogen as urea can be lost to the atmosphere if fertilizer urea remains on the soil surface for total periods of time throughout warm

Poor soil management can lead to biological, chemical, and physical degradation, which can in turn negatively alter the activity of

Nutrients that are obtained from the soil from plant roots are nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sulfur, Magnesium, Calcium, Iron, Boron, Manganese, Zinc, Molybdenum, Copper. These twelve elements that are obtained from the soil are called mineral nutrients which are then split into more groups; primary, intermediate and micronutrients (Essential Nutrients, n.d.). Primary nutrients are called by its name because they needed and are found in the most amounts. Primary nutrients include nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. The intermediate nutrients are sulfur, magnesium and calcium which are found less in soil than primary nutrients. Primary and secondary nutrients are called macronutrients. Iron, boron, manganese, zinc, molybdenum and copper are called micronutrients because they are needed in very small amounts. So small in fact that they are needed in parts per million, where 10000 parts per million is 1% of the plants intake (Essential Nutrients, n.d.). This doesn’t mean that the plant won’t grow as well without it though, these nutrients can still be essential to maximum growth spurt (Essential Nutrients,

Over Fertilization occurs when more nutrients are added to the soil than the growing plants can utilize unused nutrients are then carried away by irrigation or rain water. Several factors can result in over fertilization. For example, it is difficult to determine precise nutrient content in some organic fertilizers, like manure. As a result, actual nutrient levels may exceed estimated content, and over fertilization occurs. Also, gardeners may incorrectly diagnose poor plant growth as a nutrient deficiency and apply fertilizer as a corrective amendment. In fact, the true problem could be unhealthy roots, poor soil conditions or other improper care. To prevent overfertilization, have soil tested regularly to determine accurate nutrient levels and only apply fertilizer as

Farming in Africa is inadequate and inefficient. The fertility of the soil is becoming depleted and severely reducing the amount of crops from each harvest (Ayieko). This problem is due to over farming the land and not allowing for crop rotation to replenish the nutrients in the soil. This is a practice that is used by most farmers around the globe. Continuing on this trend will risk the land becoming barren and unable to support plant life.

Soil is the most important element for agricultural ecosystems. Healthy soil comes with beneficial microbes and insects. Unfortunately, these are often killed off by the abuse of pesticides. Healthy soil can produce strong crops that are less vulnerable to pests. Damaged soils often need strong fertilizers application to produce a high amount of crops. Soil quality can be amplified in many ways, including leaving crop remainders in the field after harvest and adding composted plant material (Union of Concerned Scientists) Compared to industrial agriculture, companies continue to damage and consume natural soil. While intensive plowing and monocrop (does not rotate) agriculture systems have caused nutrient exhaustion and soil erosion. Excessive application of fertilizers and pesticides has contaminated soils and polluted waterways (Grace Communications Foundations)

Plants are common organisms, known for their aid in absorbing carbon and releasing oxygen into the airways. Plants, being living organisms, need both nutrients and water in order to stay healthy and strong (Gardening Know How, 2011). There are a large range of nutrients which come from the leaves and the soil of the plant, each with their

The next macronutrient is phosphorus. Two most common forms of phosphorus are white phosphorus, made up of phosphorus atoms and arranged like a tetrahedron, and red phosphorus which is a non-crystalline but solid form of the element. Another form is black phosphorus, where it comes from the arrangement of the atoms in the form of a ring structure and looks similarly like the graphite (Stephanie, 2015). However, this element is never considered as a free element on Earth due to its high reactivity. The presence of P in the plants help the normal growth and maturity of the plants. According to Busman and his friends (2002), one of the main roles of P in living organisms is in the transfer of energy. Organic compounds are used P to transfer energy

Plant foods contain three essential nutrients that are not readily available from soils. These are soluble compounds of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. A typical label on a plant food will have a set of numbers such as 15-30-15. These numbers mean that the plant food is guaranteed to contain at least 15% nitrogen, 30% phosphorus (expressed as P2O5) and

GMO crops have been a controversial topic for many years, whether if they are morally right or if they are dangerous for consumption. Although GMO’s are typically frowned upon in developed countries, they have potentially life saving capabilities and should be used in underdeveloped or developing locations throughout the world, like Africa, to support their growing economies and populations.

Introduction Nitrogen and phosphorus are parts of two biogeochemical cycles that coexist in nature. Although they occur simultaneously, they have a plethora of ways in which they differ. There is however one thing they have in common – the fact that their supply is essential to all forms of life. Nitrogen cycle encompasses large flows of nitrogen between the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. The vast amount of nitrogen can be found in the atmosphere, and it accounts for 80% of the atmospheric gases (Fields 2004).

Since the dawn of the industrial revolution in the 19th century, both food production and the world’s population have experienced dramatic increases. The last five years have seen particularly significant benchmarks, with the world population reaching 7 billion in 2011. Looking to the future, experts have estimated that the population is likely to surpass 9 billion by 2050. As a result, the same amount of land (30% of the earth’s surface) will be expected to feed increasing numbers of people. The area will have to be used more intensively leading to soil deployment. For the above reasons fertilizers, will be in great

In addition to helping the economical aspects of the food-consumer market by decreasing the overall cost of food production, genetically-modified species are beneficial to the environment in which they are raised. According to the Ecological Society of America, “Some GEO’s could play a positive role in sustainable agriculture, forestry, aquaculture, bioremediation, and environmental management both in developed and developing countries” (Snow et al.). Studies are underway to develop plants that create less nutrient depletion in the soil, such as is found the in the large-scale growth of many crops like corn. This would decrease the amount of arid land worldwide. Furthermore, GMO’s present a chance to alleviate some of the damage already caused. Research is underway to create plants that can grow in these damaged lands and provide nutrients and life to the seemingly deadened soil.

Sustainability of rice-wheat cropping system in the Indo-Gangetic Plains of India has been in focus not only for its role in meeting the country’s food demand, but also for its impact on global food security at large. Soil quality degradation has put this sustainability at risk showing signs of yield fatigue. Continuous use of imbalanced fertilizers under intensive rice-wheat cultivation over the years has gradually degraded the soil structure and depleted the organic carbon and nutrient supplying capacity of these soils. Yield sustainability of rice-wheat system in the Indo-Gangetic Plains has been emphasized through maintaining the soil physical quality and organic carbon status (Mandal et al., 2007). Integrated nutrient management practices have come up as viable options in restoring the soil physical structure and chemical fertility, improving the organic matter in soil (Rudrappa et al., 2006; Nayak et al., 2012), and consequently sustaining the system productivity. Balanced application of fertilizers in combination with manures (farmyard manure, green manure), compost, industrial waste