Fertilisers
Introduced| English | Meaning |
|---|---|
| fertilisers/ˈfɜːtəlaɪzəz/ | Materials added to soil or plants to supply nutrients needed for growth. |
| nitrogen/ˈnaɪtrədʒn/ | The diatomic gas N2 that makes up most of Earth's atmosphere. |
| phosphorus/ˈfɒsfɔːrəs/ | The chemical element with atomic number 15, involved in compounds such as phosphates. |
| potassium/pəˈtæsɪəm/ | A reactive alkali-metal element with atomic number 19. |
| eutrophication/ˌjuːtrəfɪˈkeɪʃn/ | Nutrient enrichment of water that can cause excessive plant or algal growth and oxygen depletion as organic matter decomposes. |
Feeding the crops
- To grow well, plants need certain elements from the soil — and farming removes them over time.
- Fertilisers 肥料 put these nutrients back.
Fertiliser route lab
Follow nitrogen from raw materials to crop growth.
NPK fertilisers supply nitrogen, phosphorus and:
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N, P and K are the three key nutrients.
The three elements supplied by NPK fertilisers are nitrogen, ______ and potassium.
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N, P and K.
The key nutrients
- Plants need nitrogen 氮气 (N), phosphorus 磷 (P) and potassium 钾 (K).
- Fertilisers supplying these are called NPK fertilisers.
Clean dry air is about 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and 1% other gases
Nitrogen in fertiliser mainly helps plants with:
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Nitrogen is used to make proteins for growth.
Why each matters
- Nitrogen: for healthy leaves and growth (making proteins).
- Phosphorus: for roots; potassium: for flowers and fruit.
Greenhouse gases absorb the heat the Earth gives off and send some back, warming the planet
A benefit of fertilisers is that they:
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They replace nutrients, raising yields.
Excess fertiliser washing into rivers can cause eutrophication.
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Nutrient run-off feeds algal blooms that deplete oxygen.
Benefits and problems
- Fertilisers raise crop yields, feeding more people.
- But run-off into rivers causes eutrophication 富营养化 (an environmental problem).
Fertilisers boost yields but can pollute water. Excess fertiliser washes into rivers, feeding algal blooms that use up the oxygen and kill fish (eutrophication). Use must be balanced.
You've got it
- plants need nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium — supplied by NPK fertilisers
- nitrogen → growth/leaves; phosphorus → roots; potassium → flowers/fruit
- fertilisers raise yields but excess causes eutrophication