Holden Joyce

English IV Honors

Mrs. Wilson

27 April 2018

Different Methods of Fertilization and How it Affects The Environment

Thesis: Using different applications of fertilization will have different effects to the plants and

the environment. The broadcasting method of fertilization is the most effective method and the

aerial application of fertilizer hurts the environment the most.

I. What fertilizers are and what they do

II. Different types of fertilizers
III. Different methods of fertilization
IV. How different fertilizers are beneficial to the environment
V. How different methods of fertilization are harmful to the environment
VI. How to apply different fertilizers
VII. The importance of fertilizers to crops
VIII. Which are the most commonly used fertilizing methods and why
IX. Conclusion

Holden Joyce

English IV Honors

Mrs. Wilson

4/27/18

Different Methods of Fertilization and How it Affects The Environment

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Many fertilizing methods are used in the boosting of plant and crop growth. Fertilizing

methods can be more effective and helpful to the growth of the plant but also to the health of the

environment. Using different applications of fertilization will have different effects to the plants

and the environment. The broadcasting method of fertilization is the most effective method and

the aerial application of fertilizer hurts the environment the most. The objective of the paper is to

distinguish the differences in many different fertilizing methods and see which methods will be

more helpful to the growth of the plants and crops and also which methods help and hurt the

environment.

Fertilizers help plant growth in many ways with different substances. The substances are

what makes the fertilizer work,according to the article “Fertilizer Types”, a few substances that

can be in fertilizer are Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. Nitrogen is the first number in a

group of three number in the combination labeled on the package; Phosphorus is second and then

Potassium is third. For example in the combination 17-17-17, there is 17 percent Nitrogen, 17

percent Phosphorus and also 17 percent Potassium. Fertilizers have different effects on plants

and crops which cause different advantages and disadvantages when using the fertilizer. An

example is the fertilizer 21-0-0, which is Ammonium Sulfate, this combination advantages

include minimal loss of fertilizer, a sulfur boost and it’s easy to use (“The Different Types of

Organic and Inorganic Fertilizer for Your Garden”). The disadvantages of the Ammonium Sulfate

include the delayed availability of the nutrients (“The Different Types of Organic and Inorganic

Fertilizer for Your Garden”). All of the fertilizers used in fertilization methods carry some

combination of substances that help the plants or crops grow.

The broadcasting method is the most commonly used method of fertilization when

fertilizing farms or any place where the plants or crops are in the ground. Broadcasting as stated
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in the article, “Methods of Fertilizer Application”, is known as “Even and uniform spreading of

manure or fertilizers by hand over the entire surface of field while cultivation or after the seed is

sown in standing crop.” The form of broadcasting most commonly used is called top dressing.

Top dressing as stated in the article, “Methods of Fertilizer Application,” is “Spreading of

fertilizers on the standing crop.” Care needs to be taken when using the top dressing method of

fertilization because if you apply the material when it is wet it will burn or scorch the leaves as it

is stated in the article “Methods of Fertilizer Application”. Examples of different crops that use

the top dressing application method are wheat and paddy. Another form of the broadcasting

method is called broadcasting at planting. This method puts the fertilizer down at the same time

at planting the crop and is safer to apply large quantities of fertilizer at this time (“My

Agriculture Information Bank”). The broadcasting method is the most commonly used method

because it works well and is not as time consuming as other methods.

Another Fertilizing method that farmers and plant growers use is the method of

Placement. There are many different forms of placement that vary in the ways they are applied.

These sub-methods of placement are called Plough Sole Placement, Deep Placement, Irrigated

Tracts, Less Water Condition, and also Sub- Soil Placement (“Methods of Fertilizer

Application”). When using Plough Sole Placement,as stated in the article “The Different Types

of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers for Your Garden”, “The fertilizer is placed in a continuous

band on the bottom of the furrow during the process of ploughing. Each band is covered as the

next furrow is turned”. In the method of deep placement, the fertilizer will stay in the ammonia

form and be available to the crop during the growing vegetation period (“Methods of Fertilizer

Application”). When using the method of Irrigated Tracts, the fertilizer is placed under the

furrow in the dry soil before flooding so the plants will be available for transplanting ( “Methods
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of Fertilizer Application”). When using the less water condition method of fertilization you place

the fertilizer down before puddling so the fertilizer will be down deep into the reduction zone.

The last sub-method of placement is subsoil placement. In this method, the use of powered

machines are needed to be used.This is the least effective way to use placement because of it

turning into acid and not have many available nutrients (“Methods of Fertilizer Application”).

The placement methods of fertilization are effective methods but are not the most common

because these methods are the most time consuming. Another application that is commonly used

is foliar application. This is a liquid method of fertilization and is sprayed on too plant and has

more than one nutrient in the fertilizer (“Methods of Fertilizer Application”). Another method of

fertilization is the method of aerial application. This method is spread through an aircraft and is

normally applied to hilly areas (“Methods of Fertilizer Application”). There are many methods of

fertilization and many different types of fertilizer but not all fertilizers are helpful to the

environment.

A fertilizer that is beneficial to the environment is that of 15-0-0 or otherwise known as

Calcium Nitrate. Calcium Nitrate is beneficial to acid and sodic soils and also works quick with

immediate availability to nutrients for the plant (“Fertilizer Information”). The quickness of the

availability of nutrients is that the fertilizer has a less chance of runoff into a stream or water

source. Another fertilizer that is helpful to the environment is 21-0-0 or otherwise known as

Ammonium Sulfate. Ammonium Sulfate is beneficial to the environment because it stands a

lesser chance of having a leaching loss. This fertilizer is also very easy to apply and provides a

sulfur boost (“Fertilizer Information”). Another fertilizer that is beneficial to the environment is

very similar to that of Ammonium Sulfate. The Fertilizer is 16-20-0, otherwise known as

Ammonium Phosphate-Sulfate, it provides not only the sulfur boost but also applies a boost of
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phosphate and also has very little leaching loss to the environment (“Fertilizer Information”).

Leaching is the runoff of chemicals into the environment, so if any fertilizer that can be applied

with minimal leaching is considered to be good for the environment. Also Volatilization is

harmful to the environment; in this process a dissolved sample of fertilizer is vaporized into the

air. Some fertilizers that are more effective against this happening include 15-0-0 (Calcium

Nitrate) and also 33-0-0 (Ammonium Nitrate). Ammonium Nitrate also is beneficial in a colder

environment. Many fertilizers, including the few listed, can have benefiting factors to the

environment but many fertilizers are very harmful to the environment.

There are many fertilizers that can be harmful to the environment in a few different ways.

The fertilizer Anhydrous Ammonia,otherwise known as 82-0-0, is harmful to the environment

because it can cause toxicity to the plant and can be harmful to whomever is applicating the

substance (“Fertilizer Information”). Another fertilizer that can be harmful to the environment is

Calcium Nitrate; this substance has a possibility of great leaching into the environment

(“Fertilizer Information”). The fertilizer Sodium Nitrate has sodium incorporated into the

substance and sodium can be detrimental to the soil (“Fertilizer Information”). Many fertilizers

have a high loss potential of the fertilizer if not incorporated into the soil properly. Among the

fertilizers that have a high loss potential are Urea (46-0-0), Ammonium Nitrate (33-0-0), and also

Ammonium Sulfate (21-0-0) (“Fertilizer Information”). Ammonium Sulfate is also harmful to

the environment because of its delayed availability to the plants so then it will have a higher

chance of running off before being used (“Fertilizer Information”). Runoff is one the main forms

of how fertilizers can damage an environment because if the substances in the fertilizer get into

the streams and other water sources it can hurt fish and also other wildlife species that drink out

of the water. Aerial application is one of the worst methods of fertilization that causes runoff.
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Many Fertilizers cause damage or have the potential to be very harmful to the environment in

many ways.

There are many different ways to apply all of these different types of fertilizers. One way

to apply fertilizer on crops is to have aerial application. Aerial application uses airplanes to fly

over fields or hills containing crops and sprays the fertilizer on the crops and plants. Another way

to fertilize is when using the broadcasting method to the fertilizer by hand or with a spreader

then after finishing that, using a hoe, work the fertilizer into the soil about four to six inches deep

and then water to make sure it gets down into the roots (“How and When to Apply Fertilizer”).

This is the most common form of fertilization because of how easy it is to apply. Another way to

apply fertilizer is liquid fertilization. Liquid fertilizer is applied biweekly and is applied to the

surface of the soil and not just the plant itself (“How and When to Apply Fertilizer”). The best

time to apply fertilizer is earlier rather than later because if it gets too hot the plant could burn

because of the heat and fertilizer combination (“How and When to Apply Fertilizer”). Also many

farmers use sprayers that are on their farm equipment to cover a large area at one time while

being able to drive all over the field in a short period of time. The crops need fertilizer to help

maintain growth.

Crops and other plants need fertilizer for many different reasons. One reason is if the

crops and plants don’t have fertilizer, they will not get the added source of nutrients they need.

Many people will go and buy fertilizers like 17-17-17 because it gives a boost of three different

nutrients that the plant or crop will need in one fertilizer. Crops and plants also need fertilizer

because it can may have an imbalance in minerals and the crops and plants will use the fertilizer

to gain the minerals needed (“Fertilizer Information”). Other reasons crops and plants need

fertilizer is because the natural soils minerals and nutrients may be slowly available to plants or
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crops and they need the nutrients and minerals sooner (“Fertilizer Information”). Many grasses

and plants need fertilizer for the extra boost of nitrogen that the plants and grass can not get a

sustainable amount naturally. Nitrogen is also needed from fertilizer because the plants and grass

use nitrogen to produce chlorophyll and plant growth is basically impossible without producing

chlorophyll (“Fertilizer Information”). Nitrogen has been studied and is found to be the most

used nutrient (“Fertilizer Information”). Fertilizers that contain phosphorus are very important to

plant because it can help with root growth and also it can help with the aging of tissues in the

plant (“Fertilizer Information”). Phosphorus is found to be taken in easier by the soil than

nitrogen which allows for better results. The results of phosphorus are not noticeable because it

only affects the roots and the tissues in the plants (“Fertilizer Information”). The warmer the soil

is the faster the phosphorus will be used (“Fertilizer Information”). For the phosphorus to be

effective the Ph level in the soil needs to be 6.5 to 7 (“Fertilizer Information”). Fertilizers can

also contain potassium and potassium is essential for the manufacturing of sugar, starches and

proteins (“Fertilizer Information”). If potassium is not available to grass it will cause the grass to

begin to turn brown and curl. If the grass is brown and curling this means this grass is practically

dead and needs the potassium to survive. Potassium is important to the grass but it is not

necessary because people normally cut the grass in their yards before the brownness and the

grass curling starts. Potassium helps plants in traffic, heat and also drought. This is beneficial in

summer months when it is hotter than any other point in the year (“Fertilizer Information”).

Potassium can leach through the soil so it needs to be applied regularly to most irrigated soils

(“Fertilizer Information”). Many people will use fertilizers with potassium in it because of the

fact that people want their lawns to look great for people to see in the summer and using

potassium will allow the plants to stay healthier in the heat. Crops, plants and grasses all need
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fertilizers to survive and be healthy living plants and crops.

The most commonly used method of fertilization is the broadcasting method. The

broadcasting method of fertilization is the most common because of how easy it is to apply. It is

also the most commonly used method because it typically has good results. Many people that use

the broadcasting method will use a spreader that they can push through the area that the fertilizer

is being applied to which makes it so easy to apply. Many farmers use the broadcasting method

and they will only have to put it in rows as the plants are. This method is called the top dressing

form of broadcasting. The broadcasting method is also good because it does need as much time

put into the process. The worst method of fertilizer to use would be aerial application. Aerial

application cost a lot of money and damages the environment more than any other form of

application. To use aerial application the cost of a plane is a lot to pay for but the amount of

runoff produced by using aerial application is the worst part about the process.

Using different applications of fertilization will have different effects to the plants and the

environment. The broadcasting method of fertilization is the most effective method and the

aerial application of fertilizer hurts the environment the most. Fertilizer is needed for plants and

crops to survive and grow healthy. Many fertilizers help and harm the environment in many

different ways. Fertilizers are often applied to help maintain growth and other important factors

that lead to strong and healthy crops and plants. Fertilizers help boost plant growth in many

different ways and methods and also can be helpful and harmful to the environment.
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Works Cited

“The Different Types of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers for Your Garden.” Types of

Fertilizer, www.landscape-and-garden.com/GardenSoil/FertilizerTypes. Date Updated:

2006, Date Accessed: 16 March 2018.

Fertilizer - National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Search Results,

search.usa.gov/search?utf8=✓&affiliate=usda-nass&query=fertilizer. Date Accessed: 16

March 2018.

“Methods Of Fertilizer Application.” My Agriculture Information Bank,

www.agriinfo.in/default.aspx?page=topic&superid=1&topicid=364. Date Updated: 2015,

Date Accessed: 16 March 2018.

Nutrient Management :: Methods of Fertilizers Application,

agritech.tnau.ac.in/agriculture/agri_nutrientmgt_methodsoffertilizerappln.html. Date

Updated: 2014, Date Accessed: 16 March 2018.

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