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Fertilizer In Algae

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The purpose of this experiment is to find the most of effective amount of fertilizer to grow algae in, while light conditions stay consistent. This information will provide potential algae farmers the ideal ratio for growing algae, a multi use crop. Algae is a broad term for a single celled phytoplankton on the bottom of marine food chains. These organisms are phototrophs, they make their own food using chlorophyll and other pigments, and provide food for the rest of the aquatic food chain. While most algae is harmless, the infamous cyanobacteria releases neurotoxins, which can cause seizures and kill small animals or children.(Rodger, 2013)
Algae has many positive attributes. People around the world, particularly in China, eat algae for …show more content…

Whether it is synthetic or natural, all fertilizer contains nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Natural manures are perceived as having far less negative ecological effects than the inorganic engineered items. The most important disadvantage related with these natural sources are their greater weight than the synthetics, which causes extra transportation costs. Fertilizers are a requirement in modern day. Populations are increasing at a faster than ever. Less land is allocated to farmers, and more land is being allocated for industrial uses or housing. According to USA Today’s Naasz,”Without fertilizer, roughly one-third of the world's population would go hungry.” Climate is irregular and droughts are commonplace. All of these make fertilizer required for any modern farmer. Many misuse it because it is hard to time how much a plant will …show more content…

Large blooms cause eutrophication, a lack of dissolved oxygen in bodies of water. When the excessive nutrients from fertilizer runoff into the water, the algae blooms and causes this. The lack of oxygen eliminates habitats for many aquatic species and reduces water quality for humans. Therefore, the less fertilizer used for the same results the better. It has diminishing returns when used excessively. If the plant has too much fertilizer, the total growth will decrease because the soil will become too acidic. Fertilizer misuse is very common by uneducated farmers, which adds to the algae problem.
Fertilizer’s benefits clearly outweigh the disadvantages, however, to maintain a healthy environment, farmers should use the minimum amount that they can get away with. This experiment will show which ratio will be the best. It also shows how bad algae will get if farmers overuse fertilizer or misuse it. Fertilizer is definitely necessary in the modern age, and no scientist in the right mind will tell a farmer they should stop using fertilizer. There is an optimal amount of fertilizer to be used and this experiment will find

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According to Harrison Eutrophication is the excessive production of algae and higher plants through the enrichment of waters by nitrogen and phosphorus. Phosphorus in the form of phosphate is the limiting nutrient as the amount of biologically available phosphorus is small in relation to the amount needed for algal growth. Harrison states that sources of nutrients can be discrete, (sewage), or diffuse, (farmland fertilizers).

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One issue found is the creation of smelly phytoplankton that makes murky unclear waters along with aquatic impurities. Moreover, the reduction of growth due to poor light conditions and dying plants make it difficult for predatory fish to hunt leading to overpopulation. (Chislock, 2013) Eutrophication can be found in many of our water resources such as ponds, estuaries, and bays. One region with high areas with eutrophication is in a lake shared by Kisumu, Kenya and Kampala, Uganda.

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If the experiment was completed again, more higher concentrations could be applied to the seeds to see if the data is further supported. Either way the more trials the better and more accurate results, this applies to any experiment. Practical applications of the principles of this investigation may be using the correct concentration for a specific plant or seed. This lab shows that it is necessary to follow the directions and specifications when using the fertilizer miracle

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Eutrophication is the excessive nutrients in a lake or body of water, frequently due to runoff from the land, which causes a dense growth of a plant life and death of animal life from lack of oxygen. We tested for phosphate, nitrate, and dissolved oxygen. Phosphates and Nitrates are found in fertilizers, laundry detergents, and sewage treatments. Dissolved oxygen is microscopic bubbles of gaseous oxygen that are mixed in water and aailable to aquatic organisms for respiration. We found that there was a phosphate average of 0.1 parts per million (ppm).

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The three essays assigned this week had several common threads running through them. The strongest core theme is the rapid change in the food cycle in America and the vast changes that have taken place in the way by which we grow, produce, and process the food that average Americans eat. The food we eat now is drastically different from what our grandparents grew up eating and the three essays each examine that in a different way. Another theme is the loss of knowledge by the average consumer about where their food comes from, what it is composed of, and what, if any, danger it might pose to them. “Monsanto’s Harvest of Fear” by Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele is a harsh look at the realities of food production in a country where large corporations, like Monsanto, have been allowed to exploit laws and loopholes to bend farmers and consumers to their

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All organisms need oxygen to survive and when their is not enough oxygen, it leaves plants and animals to die. The area of water where there is a low count of oxygen are often called a dead zones. Also, an increase of the pH level in the water can be created because of algae blooms. The toxic killing algae can make humans sick. For the aquatic animals, these toxins attack mainly the organisms liver and nervous system (Nitrogen and

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The plants with 200 ml topsoil were projected to have the highest average height according to the original hypothesis of increased plant growth due to an increase on the amount of topsoil added. Moreover, the original hypothesis was refuted as the plants with no topsoil in the control had a higher average height than the plants with 25 ml topsoil. The mixed red and green color on the leaves of the plants with 25 ml topsoil indicated possible deficiencies in phosphorus which might have slowed their growth. Moreover, the mixed red and green color on the leaves of the plants in both 100 ml and 200 ml topsoil also indicated a possible phosphorus deficiency which may have resulted in the slower growth of the plants despite having greater amounts of topsoil. The experimental results might have skewed due to the over fertilization of the radish seeds which might have led to excess nutrient levels which are unsuitable for radish plants as they require little to no fertilization for growth (Chase, 2018).

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The number of crops that were grown increased each month, yet farmers still struggled. Prices for crops continued to raise and people could no not afford to buy food. After a season of crops is grown, it is important to give the soil time to rest and have the nutrients restored. However, because farmers needed to grow so many crops to earn the little money they did, there was not time to give the land a break. Each year the soil grew worse.

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Farmers turned to fertilizer, which contains Nitrates. Nitrates also known, as NO3 is a natural compound made of oxygen and nitrogen (Chern, 1999). Nitrates can be found in the air, soil, water, and plants (Johns & Yaremcio, 2004). Much of the nitrate in our environment comes from decomposition of plants and animal wastes (Partnership For Environmental Education and Rural Health, 2015).

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Water pollution has been one of the biggest ecological issues in the United States for many years. Although there are many efforts that are working to improve this ongoing problem, the situation still is the biggest ecological issue facing America. Indiana, one of the most polluted states, houses many heavily polluted rivers, including the Wabash River, White River, Eel River, Eagle Creek, and Patoka. The White River, the most polluted among Indiana’s rivers, runs through the center of Indianapolis. White River pollution is the greatest ecological problem in Indiana because of its detrimental effects on wildlife, drinking water, and the environment.

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In chapter 14 of Agenda 21, on sustainable agriculture and rural development (SARD), states that by the year 2025, 83 per cent of the expected global population of 8.5 billion will be living in developing countries. Yet the capacity of available resources and technologies to satisfy the demands of this growing population for food and other agricultural commodities remains uncertain. Agriculture has to meet this challenge, mainly by increasing production on land that is already in use and by avoiding further encroachment on land that is only marginally suitable for

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