4.1.6

Fertilisers

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Fertilisers

Fertilisers replace nutrients lost from the soil during harvesting and removing livestock to help maximise yields in agriculture.

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Agricultural impacts on soil

  • Agriculture leads to depleted levels of nutrients in the soil (e.g. nitrogen and phosphates).
  • This is because when crops are removed for harvest, they are not decomposed and the nutrients are not returned to the soil for reuse.
  • Removing livestock for slaughter also decreases nutrient levels because they are not replaced by decomposition.
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Using fertilisers

  • Fertilisers can be used to replace the nutrients (e.g nitrogen and phosphate) lost through agriculture.
  • Increasing nutrient levels by fertilisers allows farming to continue without negative impacts on the crop or livestock quality.

Types of Fertilisers

There are two types of fertiliser:

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Artificial fertilisers

  • Artificial fertilisers (e.g. ammonium nitrate) are inorganic.
  • Artificial fertilisers are produced specifically for replacing nutrients.
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Natural fertilisers

  • Natural fertilisers (e.g. composted food waste, manure) are organic.
  • Natural fertilisers are taken from organic matter and used to replace nutrients.

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7AHL: Nucleic Acids

8AHL: Metabolism, Cell Respiration & Photosynthesis

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9.1Transport in the Xylem of Plants

9.2Transport in the Phloem of Plants

9.3Growth in Plants

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