Chemistry Help: Plant Nutrients and Environmental Impact

[brandong]

1.
3. Homework Statement
What would happen if a plant could not obtain enough of the following nutrients from the soil?

a) Potassium
b) Nitrogen
c) Phosphorus

5. How can using fertilizers to improve crop yield impact on the evironment

6. Carry out some research to identify alternatives to adding NPK fertilizer to the soil - highlighting why they are better for the environment?

8. How do minerals in the soil get to where they are needed in the plant?

Homework Equations

n/a

The Attempt at a Solution

Out of 10 questions, these are the ones I can't do. Please help

 

[brandong]

Sorry it's Biology.

 

[Nightsinger]

It's pretty simple if you think about it

3. Homework Statement
What would happen if a plant could not obtain enough of the following nutrients from the soil?

a) Potassium
b) Nitrogen
c) Phosphorus

Think about it, what are these elements used for in plants.

Potassium: Mainly involved in enzymes, also involved in the opening and closing of stomata.

Nitrogen: used in protein synthesis, also a important component in chlorophyll, holds the mg metal in place.

Phosphorus: Used in ATP, i.e. the product of respiration, Also an important part of DNA.

Now what would happen if plants could do these processes very efficently?

5. How can using fertilizers to improve crop yield impact on the evironment

NPK fertilizers rely on soluble nitriates or nitrites, this means that they can be easily leeched away. These nutrients often get leeched into local rivers, this causes algae to grow far too fast. Where they decompose, all the oxygen is used out of the water, thus causing fish and such to die.

6. Carry out some research to identify alternatives to adding NPK fertilizer to the soil - highlighting why they are better for the environment?

Plant matter, cow dung. They generally involve less soluble nitogen sources and so are less porone to leeching

8. How do minerals in the soil get to where they are needed in the plant?

They diffuse through the roots, how else.

how that helps