The Risks of Using Chemical and Organic Fertilizers

Using fertilizers has always been a hot topic with gardeners, farmers, and scientists. With the recent news about salmonella poisoning occurring at a higher rate these days, we must look into what types of chemicals and natural products we are mixing on our crops, gardens, and lawns.

In recent news, the U.S food and drug administration (FDA) is currently searching for the cause of the current outbreak in tomatoes. Over 165 people have become ill all over the U.S. There are over 1.4 million cases of related food poisoning. In 2006 there were about 600 deaths related to salmonella. Is the way we grow the food affecting our crops? We will take a look at fertilization, especially organic fertilizers, and show the effected risk and concerns.

Is over-fertilization possible?


When it comes to over-fertilization, we can look at and discuss artificial fertilizers. Because synthetic fertilizers are used in such massive quantities and the destructive chemicals used in them, artificial fertilizers can slow down the ecosystem, mainly due to the significant increase in nutrients.

Storage of organic and inorganic fertilizers can also be harmful. When storing nitrogen fertilizers, it is possible with the proper weather and soil conditions to release emissions of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide. Excessive use of nitrogen will also lead to a pest control problem down the road.

Organic fertilizers can also be harmful. Manure and Urea are said to release methane, nitrous oxides, and carbon dioxide in unreliable amounts. This all depends on the form, whether they are reliable or liquid.
Other concerns that affect both types of fertilizers are excessive nutrients being entered into the soil will cause the burning of the plant. There is also the need for continual monitoring of the soil and the reapplication of the fertilizer regularly, which could lead to over-fertilization.

Although organic fertilizers help out in the long run, it is still unknown what effect these natural and artificially made chemicals will have for our crops in the future.

The most pressing concern is that because of the consumption of global resources, we are running the risk of forever polluting the environment as we are continuously releasing significant quantities of greenhouse gases into the environment by not taking care of the storage of fertilizers.

评论

发表评论

此博客中的热门博文

A Quick Guide to Lawn Fertilizers

图片
If you want to let your lawn look healthy and green, it is essential that you fertilize your lawn. Lawn Fertilizer is one of the most important factors that affect the growth of your lawn. Proper fertilizing provides color and growth to your lawn grass and also helps it to grow thick. Let us take a look at the main constituents of fertilizers. Standard fertilizer contains nitrogen, phosphate and potash. Fertilizing involve the administration of all these constituents but in different amounts. Most lawns would need nitrogen in the maximum amount as it helps in fast growth, gives the grasses darker color and also thickens the grasses. However, you cannot neglect the administration of phosphate and potash. A deficient in phosphate and potash coupled with high dose of nitrogen will result in too much top growth. This can cause insufficient root growth and reduce nutrient storage capacity. A balanced fertilizing program would include all the three constituents in proper amount and micro...
阅读全文

Pros and Cons of Organic Fertilizer

图片
Now, many growers, gardeners and farmers are beginning to understand the need for providing nutrients quickly in order to promote abundant plant growth in gardens and landscapes. Application of nutrients may be accomplished by using either organic or inorganic fertilizer. Due to increased environmental concerns, growers today tend to prefer the use of organic fertilizers over the inorganic type. Traditional fertilizers are known to contain chemicals that may contain concentrated nutrients that may leach and disrupt the soil. It should be noted however, that most people who buy organic fertilizers use them because they believe they are safer for plants. However, if the fertilizer is not applied properly, it can be just as harmful to plants as chemicals are. If not applied properly, they may contribute to ground water pollution, induce salt burn, or cause nutrient deficiencies and soil toxicity. One particular problem that should be emphasized with organic fertilizers is that many of the...
阅读全文

Summer Lawn Care: How to Keep Your Grass Green

图片
It's getting hot out there. And while you might love basking in the summer sun, it can be rough on your grass. So just as you layer on sunscreen before heading out on a sunny day, you must consider summer lawn care so that your grass can stay green all summer long. When the sun grows fiery and passionate in June, July, and August, it beams down sunlight that is both beneficial and harmful to plants. As the days grow longer and hotter, watch out for your grass. We've got just the tips you need to keep your lawn bright, beautiful, and nourished. To begin, you should fertilize your grass. Using a plant food made especially for grass (which means it should be high in nitrogen, which promotes growth and greenness) and a spreader for proper distribution, fertilize your lawn. For best results, wait until the grass is dry and mowed. You want the fertilizer to sink into the ground (if it sticks to the wet blades, it might burn them). When you pour the fertilizer into the spreader, do i...
阅读全文