Problematic Artificial Fertilizers
Posted by Unknown in Fertilizer, Soil Issue on Tuesday 29 January 2013
Artificial fertilizer by
definition are any inorganic material of synthetic origin that is added
to the soil to supply one or more plant nutrient essential to the
growth of plants. Most artificial fertilisers principally contain large
helpings of nitrogen and phosphorus.
After
all the above fact, it’s hard to see why, then, have these fertilisers
been alarmingly tagged as a ‘plague’. The article tries to explain
exactly that, and leaves the decision to the reader.
Artificial
fertilisers are prepared in large factories like any other commercial
scale product. The source of nitrogen being the atmosphere and that of
phosphorous are mineral rocks. So the inert nitrogen floating about in
air is very conveniently caught, converted to nitrates and locked into
these fertilisers. These are then fed to the plants via absorption
through their roots from soil. The case with phosphorous is different
and the mineral rocks containing phosphorous are the source. The element
has to be extracted from them and converted to phosphates. These
phosphates are present in fertilisers which are applied to the soil.
The
problem with the use of these fertilisers sprouts from the fact that in
our conventional agricultural practices they follow a linear path
instead of a cycle like in nature and this linear path leads to large
scale losses of these nutrients. Now the question arises where exactly
these nutrients are lost to? The answer is a cliché; the ‘environment’.
These
fertilisers are applied in excess to the soil, only a part of them is
taken up by the plants and the rest simply rests in the soil. When water
is applied for irrigation or whenever it rains, these nitrates and
phosphates seep into the ground and many travel as deep as to
contaminate our aquifers. Hence our future reserves of naturally
protected water are no longer protected; they have been polluted and are
unfit for human consumption.
These
nitrates can even evaporate from the soil surface, get mixed with
moisture in atmosphere and form ammonia. Thus when it rains over such
agricultural lands, the rain is laden with ammonium ions which are
damaging to all life.
Furthermore
a large part of these nutrients find their way into the rivers and
lakes with the runoff water (the water flow that occurs when land is
infiltrated by water to full capacity and excess water flows over land).
A new problem starts when these fertilisers enter the water ecosystem.
The algae in the water bodies take up these nutrients and grow rapidly,
depriving other aquatic life of oxygen, sunlight and nutrients.
These
areas of accelerated algal growth are called algal blooms. To further
worsen the matter, these algae start to die because they have used up
all the nutrients and the water body gets loaded with decaying organic
matter. This condition is called Eutrophication (the addition of
artificial or natural substances, such as nitrates and phosphates to an
aquatic system) and is a major cause of water quality deterioration in
surface waters.
Even
our precious estuaries, home to amazingly valuable species, are
endangered by these fertilisers which disturb the delicate balance of
these fresh water estuaries and cause loss of vulnerable species.
Apart
from the water problems, application of these fertilisers disrupts the
soil structure and renders the soil infertile after a period of some
years during which there are high crop yields. But this short-term
benefit should not make us go blind to the long-term loss in the form of
soil infertility and eventually desertification.
Hence
these outwardly friendly, yet notorious in actual, fertilisers pose a
threat to aquatic life and render fresh water resources useless to us.
Also the soil infertility problems are increased in the middle of the
global food crisis we are currently facing. We are encountering water
crisis and chemical fertilisers further plague this already scarce
resource.
As
mentioned earlier these nutrients are not recycled in conventional
agricultural practices and tax our limited nutrients bank. These
fertilisers are applied in such large quantities that the problem is
further amplified. For example the nitrogen fertilisers alone, support
one-third of the world’s population by increasing food production
(Wolfe, W. David. 2001)
This
problem of artificial fertilisers can be overcome by using more
environment- friendly organic fertilisers such as peat, manure and green
manure etc.
We
must wake up to these threats knocking at our doors and act now for
there isn’t much time to lose. The environment is our natural reservoir
of resources which not only provides for us but also fulfills our
aesthetic needs. We should avoid developing a parasite-host relationship
with it and practice symbiosis, “for what goes around, comes around”.
The Dawn
