5.3 fertilisers

•fertilizers increase crop yield by taking the form of nitrates or phosphates (sometimes both)
• they are applied into the soil but are absorbed by the roots into the plant, eventually into the leaf and used in the leaf

• nitrates are used to form proteins inside the leaf
• phosphates are used to help form DNA and membrane structures inside the leaf

fertilizers are divided into two groups:

organic
produced from animal waste which goes through the process of decomposition and fermentation which forms slurry. Slurry provides fields with a supply of nitrates and phosphates to help growth.

artificial
take the form of chemicals, synthetically produced e.g. potassium nitrate solution and ammonium nitrate solution. These are bought and applied to fields and supply the fields nitrates and phosphates.