Are fertilizers environmentally detrimental?
Poor management of plant nutrients, whether organic or as mineral fertilizers, can mean loss of some nutrients to the environment. This can upset the balance of the natural ecosystems. But if a farmer uses appropriate agricultural practices, the crop will absorb most properly applied fertilizers. Using too few crop nutrients can also have devastating environmental effects. In the 1930’s, before mineral fertilizers were widely used, nutrient depletion was widespread on agricultural land in North America. The result was the Dust Bowl era with its extensive wind erosion and massive dust storms.
