Learning about harmful effects of artificial fertiliser

To boost up soil and stimulate the plant’s growth, artificial fertilisers are used. These fertilisers are made up of chemical substances and are not natural products like cow dung. Macronutrients like Phosphorus, Nitrogen, sulphur, and potassium are present in artificial fertilisers. Whereas, there is a crisis of other vital substances like micronutrients. Simply, artificial fertilisers can be referred to as the fertilisers which are produced in a factory with some vital nutrients; these are inorganic fertilisers or synthetic fertilisers. There are several ways of artificial fertility techniques for plant growth.

Types of artificial fertilisers –

There are three types of artificial fertilisers –

• Nitrogenous Fertiliser- 

Nitrogen in the form of nitrate is contained in Nitrogen fertilisers. Nitrogen fertilisers are mostly likeable to every plant because this type of artificial fertiliser is water-soluble and is easily accessible to plants. These become accessible to plants in waterlogged and moist conditions, these fertilisers are filtered into gaseous form and are accessible to plants. Some nitrates are used all over the world which are Calcium nitrate (15.50% N), Sodium Nitrate (16% N), and Potassium Nitrate (13%). Ammoniacal fertilisers are used in conditions of water-logged because they carry nitrogen in the form of ammonical and are capable of filtering. But as Nitrate fertilisers, ammoniacal fertilisers are not quickly accessible to plants. These types of artificial fertilisers are preferable for crops that are slow-growing because sometimes NH4 is required to be converted to NO3. The ammoniacal fertilisers that are largely used in India are Ammonium Chloride (24-26% N), Ammonium Sulphate (20% N), and Diammonium Phosphate (18% N). In both (nitrate and ammoniacal) the forms of Nitrogen are contained in ammoniacal-nitrate fertilisers; those are Calcium ammonium nitrate (26% N) and Ammonium nitrate (33% N).

• Potassic Fertilisers – 

Muriate of potash and Potassium sulphate (50% K2O) are the chief commercial fertilisers. The NPK fertilisers contain 15 % of Nitrogen (N), 15% of Phosphorus (P2O5), and 15% of Potash which together form NPK fertilisers, these types of artificial fertilisers are complex fertilisers. A large amount of energy is demanded for the production of artificial fertilisers. For example, for the production of 1 kg of phosphatic fertiliser (12 MJ), Nitrogenous fertiliser (80 MJ), and Potassic fertilisers (8MJ) energy is required.

• Phosphate Fertilisers –

Phosphate is available in extremely soluble form (H2PO4) in the water among phosphatic fertilisers that are soluble in water. For example, Double superphosphate (DSP: 32 phosphates), Single superphosphate (SSP: 16-18% phosphate), and Triple superphosphate (TSP: 42%). 

Insoluble phosphatic fertilisers: The fertilisers which are not at all soluble in water are called insoluble phosphatic fertilisers. But is partially soluble in an acid that is weak in nature named citric acid. For example, Bone meal, Rock phosphates (20-40% P2O5), etc. 

Citric acid-soluble phosphatic fertilisers are highly soluble in water like weak acid/acidic water that holds phosphorus in an accessible form (H3PO4). 

These are the ways of artificial fertility techniques for the plant’s growth.

Advantage of artificial fertilisers –

• The space that is available for agricultural work is improved by artificial fertilisers, this happens due to the more beneficiation of macronutrients to the soil which increases the production per hectare.
• Artificial fertilisers can provide immediate support when crop problems arise. In modern stages for cultivation NPK fertilisers that contain Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium can enhance the health of the plant and grow more crops.

DisAdvantage of artificial fertilisers –

• Excessive growth,
• Soil Degradation,
• Salt Burns,
• Groundwater contamination.

These are the harmful effects of artificial fertilisers. But Groundwater Contamination and Soil Degradation are the most harmful effects of artificial fertilisers.

Conclusion

It is to conclude that there are several types of artificial fertilisers like nitrogenous fertilisers, Potassic fertilisers, and phosphate fertilisers. These types of fertilisers have several advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantages or the harmful effect of artificial fertilisers are Excessive growth, Soil Degradation, Salt Burns, and Groundwater contamination.