2.  Soil pollution is –
 Contamination of soil by heavy metals, inorganic
compounds, chemicals, salts.
 It has an adverse effect on plant growth and
human health.
 Soil pollutants-
 Substances causing soil pollution like coal, sewage,
fertilizers, pesticides, etc.
 Agriculture chemicals includes-
 Pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides,
fertilizers.

3.  Used to correct soil deficiencies.
 Necessary nutrients like nitrogen,
phosphorus, potassium, calcium,
magnesium and many more are
obtained from fertilizers.
 Two types-
 Organic fertilizers
 Inorganic fertilizers

4.  Organic fertilizers-
 Obtained from
naturally occurring
substances.
 Made from plant,
animal byproducts.
 Compost , manure,
marine byproducts.
 Inorganic fertilizers-
 Synthetically
manufactured.
 Like nitrogen
fertilizers, potassium
fertilizers,
phosphorous
fertilizers.
 Readily dissolved in
soil.

5.  Compost-
 Made from decomposed plant matter
such as vegetable peels, egg shells.
 Manure-
 Comes from livestock animals such as
cattle, chickens, horses and sheep.
 Marine byproducts-
 Fish scrap

6. Manure products are one of the most common natural fertilizers
available.

7.  Accumulation of soil
acidity in soil which
increases aluminium
availability and hence
toxity .
 Fertilizer burn.
 Nitrogen fertilizer can be
converted by soil
bacteria to nitrogen
oxide, a greenhouse gas
which also causes acid
rain.

8.  Remain longer in soil
 Release nutrients slowly
 Less likely to burn roots of plants
 Enhance soil health
 Nurture soil microbes

9.  To kill, destroy pests.
 Imp. Pesticides are DDT,
organophosphates, aldrin, furodan.
 Pesticides get absorbed by soil particles.
 Decrease fertility of soil
 Toxic effect on human

10.  Organochlorine pesticides-
 DDT, chlordane
 Pyrethroid pesticides-
 Pyrethrin
 Biopesticides-
 Derived from natural material like plants,
animals, bacteria.
 Canola oil, baking soda

11.  Reduces soil life from 2 to 16 years.
 Reach a destination other than their
target species when sprayed.
 Reduces nitrogen fixation
 Pests develop resistance to pesticides,
necessitating new pesticides.
 Destroys habitats, threatens species
 Contamination of ground water.

13.  Biological Controls-
 Parasites, predators to kill pests.
 Bacteria can be also used to kill pests.
 Quarantine-
 Restriction on the importation of plant and
animals that could contain pests.
 Interplanting-
 The alternate row of planting can provide a
habitat for predators of pests to the other
row.

14.  Used to kill unwanted plants.
 Organic herbicides-
 Expensive
 Less effective than synthetic herbicides
 Spices, vinegar
 Do not damage crops as naturally
made.

15.  Chemical compounds used to kill fungi.
 Fungi can cause serious damage in
agriculture.
 Result in critical loss of yield, quality and
profit.
 Dangerous to human health.
 Eg- Neem oil, Tea tree oil, etc.

16.  US Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA)- reports that over 1 billion tons of
pesticides are used in the US every year.
 . Agricultural use accounted for 80% of
pesticide use in the US.
 . The US Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) -responsible for monitoring
pesticide levels on fruits and vegetables.

17.  Between the years of 2004-05 and 2009-10,
the total consumption of fertilizer has
increased by 43% .
 . Consumption of potash increased
by merely 15 kg/ha during last 27 years from
less than 2 kg in 1971-72 to 17.1 kg in 2008-
09.
 The Fertilizer consumption (% of fertilizer
production) in India was 166.29 in 2009,
according to a World Bank report,
published in 2010.