The Controversy In Using Synthetic Fertilizers

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

Engro Corporation is a multi-national corporation based in Karachi with subsidiaries involved in the production of fertilizers, foods, chemicals, energy and petrochemicals.

Even though, fertilizers are needed to supply essential nutrients to the growth of plants; an excess of them is one of the major issues contributing to pollution in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Fertilizers are mainly composed of two elements: nitrogen and phosphorus.(4) Throughout the years, millions of pounds of this nutrients are applied all around the Chesapeake Bay Watershed; everything not absorbed by the soil or taken up by plants eventually reaches the Chesapeake Bay through storm-water runoff. This nutrients end up creating algae blooms in the water, which reduce the amount of sunlight available to underwater grasses; not allowing plants to photosynthesize and produce the food they need to survive. Algae then decomposes creating dead zones killing fish and other species since oxygen is needed for any organism to live. (5)

As humanity continues to prosper agriculturally, industrially, and in population, companies, as well as local communities, have obsessively used the Ocean to toss their waste without consequences. The formation of dead zones has been intensified by the increase runoff of fertilizers and the burning of fossil fuels. Enhanced primary production causes algae to bloom at a constant rate creating a layer near the surface. This layer acts as a roof to vegetation below resulting in a lack of oxygen which organisms use to live. According to Robert Diaz and Rutger Rosenberg, “Dead zones have now been reported from more than 400 systems, affecting a total area of more than 245,000 square kilometers, and are probably a key stressor on marine ecosystems.” Specifically, the Chesapeake Bay has been polluted to the point where areas have now been uninhabitable to marine life. Although waste disposal is a difficult issue to solve, polluting bodies of water endangers the marine life, environment, and health of organisms.

Hypoxic zones, more commonly known as ‘Dead Zones,’ can be found all over the world, with the second-largest located in the Gulf of Mexico. They are lacking in life because of the absence of the atomic number 8, otherwise known as oxygen. According to the Environmental Encyclopedia, hypoxia occurs when the content of oxygen is below or between 2-3 milligrams per liter while for healthy waters 8 milligrams need to be found (“Dead Zones”). Therefore, dead zones are begotten from the lack of a sustainable amount of oxygen in a body of water.

The EPA has a major impact on manufacturers through enforcing its regulations. Go to the EPA website and review EPA’s settlement with Mosaic fertilizer, LLC: https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/mosaic-fertilizer-llc-settlement

A Dead Zone can be made by human impact from runoff excess nutrient water. This water will increase the growth rate of algae, which after it starts to sink, begins to decompose. The process uses up a lot of oxygen; coincidentally, the supply of oxygen for the organisms

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)

Prior to the arrival of Europeans, land care was a major purpose in life for Aboriginal people and although their approach was entirely sustainable, they were actively intervening in the landscape. They involved activities such as damming creeks, fire-stick farming and sustainable harvesting methods. (Roberts, 2014) The damming of creeks created natural watering holes for their own use as well as attracting animals to the area, which incidentally resulted in a change in Australian landscape. Fire-stick farming was used to promote the growth of valued plants, with plant species unable to survive fire and declining in numbers, and more resistant species, such as grass trees, eucalypts and acacias, dominating. The Indigenous harvesting techniques were also quite sustainable in conserving resources. For example, women dug some varieties of yams in such a way that a portion which would regenerate was left in the ground. (Williams, 1986, pp. 93-94) Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the Indigenous Australians managed their lands in a way that was sustainable and would ensure biodiversity for the future.

Dead zones are hypoxic zones that can occur naturally but recently are being created by human interference and any naturally occurring ones rapidly grow bigger due to outside influence.The main impact humans have that cause dead zones are the surplus of nutrients in the water, these come primarily from farms and drain into rivers and streams or as excess water that is dumped into a lake or river. All the nutrients allows huge amounts of algae to grow at a rapid rate and once there is no longer enough nutrients to support them all they they begin to die and this process deprives the water of oxygen killing everything.One of the biggest dead zones and most deteimental is the one located in the Gulf of Mexico, as of August 2015 it was 6474 square miles.This can lead to devestating effect as many types of fish die and those that do manage to escape end up miles away causing fishermen to travel further and adding to the damage in the sea food industry.

The oceans of the world seem to be under attack from mankind and nature itself. Global warming is causing the melting of the polar ice causing the level of the oceans to rise. Garbage patches of plastic particles are floating in huge areas with some settling to the ocean floor. Acidification of the ocean water from fertilizer use is causing large so called dead zones where oxygen deprivation kills off plant and aquatic life. Many areas of the ocean have been dumping grounds for garbage, whether sludge like, solid, or chemical in nature. This paper will concentrate on the dead zones of the oceans, their causes, and the possible solutions to this problem.

closing the stomata in the leaves. There is often a lack of it in the

Out of the various substances in fertilizer, nitrogen fertilizer supplies key nutrients for the development of wheat. Because nitrogen fertilizer has little residue, it does not harm the environment as much as other fertilizers. (Lam, Chen, Norton, Armstrong, 2012) “Corn, wheat, and rice, the fast-growing crops on which humanity depends for survival, are among the most nitrogen hungry of all plants. They demand more, in fact, than nature alone can provide.” (Charles 2013)

Throughout the years the agricultural industry has had significant developments in the cultivation of crops; some of which include advancements in the knowledge about fertilization. The land in which plants are placed is extremely important when it comes to how well they grow and produce. Through observations one can see that there are certain parts of the world better equipped for certain plants to be raised, which is often due to climate and the nutrients found within the soil. When soil falls short of providing for specific plants that is where fertilizer comes into play, it meets the elemental requirements for the plant to best grow. Some common fertilizers are manure—animal droppings used enrich the land, compost—decayed organic material, or synthetic fertilizers. This being said, as in all things agricultural, there is controversy as to what should be put into food sources due to the possible dangers. Manure being the product of animal waste can create tension in its use and can therefore raise the question as to what is the agricultural benefit in the use of manure and how does it aid plant production and growth?

Biofertilizers are becoming widely used in many countries and for many different crops. Based on Paul et al., 2013 stated that biofertilizer contain free-living organisms associated with root surfaces include endophytes and microorganisms that are able to colonize the intercellular or intracellular spaces between plant tissues without harm to the host plant. According to Vessey, 2003 defined biofertilizer as products containing lively or dormant strains of soil microbes, either bacteria or in combination with algae or fungi that increase the availability and nutrients uptake on plant. Rice production in Malaysia usually used high of input chemical fertilizer which can lead soils to be degraded, polluted and unproductive. According to Mishra and Dash, 2014 increasingly extensive uses of chemical fertilizers in India assist soils to be degraded, polluted, less productive and environmental hazards. Soil pollution is caused by the excessive application of chemical fertilizers. In other words, there is much concern to further preserve environmental through the use of less intensive and more sustainable agricultural practices by reducing the input of chemical fertilizers. (Gomiero et al.2011). Mishra and Dash, 2014 stated these issues can be solved by using biofertilizers to make the ecosystem healthier. Thus, it minimize dependency of farmer on chemical fertilizers. These biofertilizers are not harmful to crops but facilitate the unabsorbed nutrient in soil to be