5.3 Fertilisers

Understand the use of fertilizers to increase crop yield

We can increase the growth of plants in farming by the application of fertilizers to the soil. Fertilisers are usually in the form of nitrate and phosphate, or combination of both.

These compounds go down into the soil and are taken up from the root structure, and move in the transpiration stream up to the leave.

Nitrate --> proteins

Phosphate --> DNA, membrane structure 

Fertilisers can be divided into two groups. 

1. Organic fertilizers

Produced from animal waste on farm

This usually take the forms like Cow faeces, collected by the farmer

It often goes through the process of decomposition and fermentation and form a substance known as slurry. 

This gives crop plant a supply of nitrate and phosphate to promote growth. 

2. Artificial fertilizers 

Take the forms of chemicals 

- Potassium nitrate

- Ammonium nitrate

Apply to the field, they will go into solution in the soil water. This will release nitrate and promote growth in the same way as it would do at the compound.