Tag: manures and fertilisers

Questions Related to manures and fertilisers

Among the given options, which one is not correct for the use of large amount of fertilisers and pesticides?

  1. Fertilisers are eco-friendly.

  2. Fertilisers turn the fields barren after some time.

  3. Fertilisers remove the useful component from the soil.

  4. Fertilisers destroy the soil fertility.


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Pesticides and fertilizers are the chemically synthesized compound used for agriculture purpose. The use of pesticides and fertilizers over a long period of time can destroy soil fertility or soil structure by killing the soil microorganism that recycles nutrients in the soil as they are artificial chemical compounds. It also kills earthworms which are instrumental in making rich humus.

Therefore, the correct answer is option A.

Among the given options, which one is not correct for the use of a large amount of fertilizers and pesticides?

  1. Fertilizers are eco-friendly.

  2. Fertilizers turn the fields barren after some time.

  3. Fertilizers adversly affect the useful component from the soil.

  4. Fertilizers destroy the soil fertility.


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Fertilizers and pesticides are composed of chemical components. These chemicals are harmful to the soil and the environment. These fertilizers and pesticides if put in excess degrades the soil fertility and quality by destroying its natural properties. The chemicals from the fertilizers and insecticides make the soil acidic in nature which leads the soil to lose its fertility to become dry and barren. These chemicals also harm the natural soil tillers, decomposers and the organisms that naturally enhance the soil quality and fertility. Therefore adversely affecting the useful components of soil by depleting the natural nutrient of the soil like nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous, etc. Fertilizers cannot be eco-friendly as it harms the soil, water, and environment, unlike biofertilizers which are organic in nature and are eco-friendly too.
Therefore, the correct answer is option A.

Which of the following is not true for fertilisers?

  1. They increase the yield.

  2. Their excessive use disturbs the balance of nutrients in soil.

  3. They are generally used in small quantity.

  4. They are environment friendly.


Correct Option: D
Explanation:
The by-products of fertilizer industries are pesticides and some chemical fertilizers. They are non-biodegradable, so they get accumulated at each trophic level. These mix up with soil and water. From there, these pesticides are absorbed by the growing plants along with water and minerals.
When herbivores eat these, these poisonous chemicals pass into their bodies through the food chain. When carnivores eat herbivores, these pesticides transfer to their bodies. Man being omnivore, eats both plants and herbivores and these gets accumulators into their body.
Thus, pesticides enter the food chain at the producer level and in the process of transfer of food through food chains, these harmful chemicals get concentrated at each trophic level. This is called bio magnification.
Therefore, the correct answer is option D.

Which of the following statement is not true for organic manure?

  1. It enhances water holding capacity of soil

  2. It has a balance of all plant nutrients

  3. It provides humus to soil

  4. None of these


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

  • Manure is an organic substance produced by the decomposition of plant and animal wastes in the presence of the microorganism. 
  • Organic manure contains a few nutrients. It enhances the water holding capacity of soil. 
  • This makes more water available to plants. It has a balance of all plant nutrients. It provides humus (organic matter ) to soil. 

Therefore, option D is correct.  

In compositing, solid waste is converted into;

  1. Ashes

  2. Manure

  3. Clinkers

  4. Fumes


Correct Option: B

A few gram seeds were placed in each of the three pots A, B and C containing soil. The soil in Pot A is mixed some green twigs and leaves. The soil in pot B is mixed with old cow dung while soil of pot C is mixed with urea. Pots are watered regularly. Which of the following will be observed after 10 days?

  1. Lot of growth in A

  2. Not much growth in B

  3. Lot of growth in B but very little growth in C

  4. Very little growth in A but lot of growth in B and C


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Manure is an organic substance produced by the decomposition of plant and animal wastes in the presence of microorganism and used as fertilizers. Thus, the fresh manure contains decomposing bacteria along with active digestive enzymes. These enzymes contribute to the faster heating of the manure which accelerates the decomposition of organic materials by the soil microorganisms. The end result of better decomposition of organic material is faster nutrient release to the plant. When urea is placed on the surface of the soil, a chemical reaction takes place that changes the urea to ammonium bicarbonate. Urea should be mixed in with the soil for maximum effectiveness. For plants that love acidic soils, urea is one of the top fertilizers for acidifying soils. Hence, seeds will grow most in pots B and C.

Which of the following rotation of crops will reduce dependence on the use of chemical fertilizers?

  1. Rice and Chilli

  2. Wheat and Potato

  3. Potato and Rice

  4. Gram and Rice


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Crop rotation helps the farmers to maintain the fertility of the fields by growing alternate crops. A particular crop with one type of nutrient sown in one season restricts the cultivator to sow the other crop with another type of nutrient  in the next season, which is most beneficial for the field e.g., gram is nitrogen rich crop and rice is sugar rich crop, so, their alternate cropping can give different nutrients to the field and thus, reduces the use of chemical fertilizers.

Fairly good yield of rice can be had over a number of years without adding any nitrogenous manures because

  1. They require very minute quantities of nitrogen.

  2. Their roots have nitrogen-fixing bacterial associated with them.

  3. There are nitrogen-fixing algae in the rice fields.

  4. Rice plant do not require any nitrogen.


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

The rice paddy field contains the Azolla weeds with the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria which can help in the conversion of the atmospheric nitrogen to nitrates. This nitrate can be used for the growth of the plants without the introduction of nitrogenous manures externally. These organisms help increase the yield of the rice plants. 

Thus, the correct answer is option C. 

Consider the following microbes

A. Azotobacter
B. Azolla
C. Mycorrhiza
D. Nostoc

The aforementioned microbes are

  1. Manure yielding biofertilizers 

  2. Converters of atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia

  3. Capable of improving the elements phosphorus, potassium, zinc etc., in soil

  4. The source of nitrogenous fertilizer


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

  • Azotobacter, Azolla, Mycorrhiza, and Nostoc are manure yielding biofertilizers. Biofertilizers are organisms that enrich the nutrient quality of the soil. The main sources of biofertilizers are bacteria, fungi, and cyanobacteria.
  • Azotobacter is bacteria that can fix atmospheric nitrogen while free-living in the soil, thus enriching the nitrogen content of the soil.
  • Azolla is a water fern. It lives in a symbiotic relationship with a cyanobacteria Anabaena azollae which fixes nitrogen. It is used as an excellent fertilizer in the rice field.
  • Mycorrhiza is a symbiotic relationship of fungi with roots of higher plants. The fungal symbiont absorbs phosphorus from soil and passes it to plants. Plants having such associations show resistance to root borne pathogens, tolerance to salinity and drought, and an overall increase in plant growth and development.
  • Nostoc is a cyanobacterium. It can fix atmospheric nitrogen. It also adds organic matter to the soil and increases its fertility. 

Different types manures are

  1. Farmyard, compost and green

  2. Green and farmyard

  3. Green and compost

  4. Farmyard and compost


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Manure is an organic substance produced by the decomposition of plant and animal wastes in the presence of microorganism and used as fertilizers. Farmyard manure, compost and green manure are the most important and widely used bulky organic manures. Farmyard manure is the decomposed mixture of excreta of farm animals along with litter and leftover material from fodder fed to the cattle. Green manure and compost are the decomposed substance of crop. It is helpful in maintaining soil form, aeration and hydration.