Chemical fertilizers and their impact on soil health

Abstract

Soil carries out an important ecological services for the sustenance and survival of life. Soil health management is vital for the maintenance of biodiversity and safeguarding sustainable agricultural production. So, retaining and preserving soil health has prime importance for ecosystem sustainability. The health of soil is regulated by soil properties, that is, physicochemical and biological properties. Modern agriculture is largely dependent upon fertilizers. These are an unavoidable threat to agriculture. Nevertheless, they continue to be vital tools for worldwide food safety. When sustainable agriculture is the global target, the troublesome effects of chemical fertilizers cannot be ignored. Chemical fertilizer plays an essential role in enhancing crop productivity and soil fertility. Chemical fertilizers are of various types in the form of nitrogenous, phosphate, potassium fertilizers. The employment of fertilizers not only increases crop productivity, but also alters soil physicochemical and biological properties. However, continuous utilization of chemical fertilizers is responsible for the decline of soil organic matter (SOM) content coupled with a decrease in the quality of agricultural soil. The overuse of chemical fertilizers hardens the soil, reduces soil fertility, pollutes air, water, and soil, and lessens important nutrients of soil and minerals, thereby bringing hazards to environment. Sole utilization of chemical fertilizers led to weak microbial activity in the cropping system. Constant use of chemical fertilizer can alter the pH of soil, increase pests, acidification, and soil crust, which results in decreasing organic matter load, humus load, useful organisms, stunting plant growth, and even become responsible for the emission of greenhouse gases. These will undoubtedly influence the soil biodiversity by upsetting soil well-being because of long time persistence in it.