Explore the essential role of fertilizer chemicals in modern agriculture, including their types, uses, and impacts. This quiz covers important concepts about how fertilizers influence plant growth and soil health.
Which of the following is considered a synthetic (inorganic) fertilizer often used to supply nitrogen to crops in large-scale farming?
Explanation: Urea is a synthetic nitrogen fertilizer commonly applied to crops. Compost and bone meal are organic sources made from biological materials, not synthetic chemicals. Green manure refers to certain crops grown and plowed under to enrich the soil, not a manufactured fertilizer.
Applying excessive amounts of phosphate-based fertilizers to agricultural fields can lead to what main environmental issue?
Explanation: Eutrophication occurs when excess nutrients like phosphates run off into water bodies, promoting algal blooms. Ozone depletion is linked to other chemicals, not fertilizers. Soil erosion is caused by physical processes, not just phosphates. Acid rain is associated mainly with sulfur and nitrogen oxides from air pollution.
If a farmer's crops display yellowing leaves due to lack of chlorophyll, which fertilizer component is most likely deficient?
Explanation: Nitrogen is essential for chlorophyll production, and its deficiency often causes yellowing leaves. Potassium affects water regulation, not chlorophyll directly. Calcium aids cell wall structure, while magnesium is also vital for chlorophyll but less commonly deficient than nitrogen.
Which is a common method for applying fertilizers directly to the soil around growing crops?
Explanation: Topdressing involves spreading fertilizer on the soil surface around crops during growth. Foliar spraying applies nutrients to leaves, not soil. Seed priming treats seeds before planting. Flood irrigation is a water delivery method, not a fertilizer application technique.
A bag of fertilizer labeled '20-10-10' refers to the percentage by weight of which three nutrients in order?
Explanation: Fertilizer labels follow the N-P-K convention: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The other orders do not match industry labeling standards, and magnesium, sulfur, and calcium are secondary or micronutrients not usually highlighted in standard labeling.