THE EARTH AND ITS RESOURCES

Published: 20 May 2020

doi: 10.3389/frym.2020.00063

IS TOO MUCH FERTILIZER A PROBLEM?

Christopher J. Sedlacek 1,2* , Andrew T. Giguere 1,3 and Petra Pjevac 1,4
1
Division of Microbial Ecology, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna,
Austria
2
The Comammox Research Platform, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
3
Center for Microbial Communities, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
4
Joint Microbiome Facility of the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Fertilizers are added to crops in order to produce enough food to

YOUNG REVIEWER:
feed the human population. Fertilizers provide crops with nutrients
ARYAN like potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen, which allow crops to grow
AGE: 15 bigger, faster, and to produce more food. Nitrogen in particular is an
essential nutrient for the growth of every organism on Earth. Nitrogen
is all around us and makes up about 78% of the air you breathe.
However, plants and animals cannot use the nitrogen gas in the air. To
grow, plants require nitrogen compounds from the soil, which can be
produced naturally or be provided by fertilizers. However, applying
excessive amounts of fertilizer leads to the release of harmful
greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and the eutrophication of our
waterways. Scientists are currently trying to find solutions to reduce
the environmentally harmful effects of fertilizers, without reducing
the amount of food we can produce when using them.

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Sedlacek et al. Nitrogen-Containing Fertilizers

WHAT IS FERTILIZER?
Fertilizer is any substance or material added to soil that promotes
plant growth. There are many fertilizer varieties, and most contain
nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). In fact, fertilizers sold
in stores have an N-P-K ratio on their packaging. Fertilizers are applied
all around the world to keep lawns green and to produce more crops
in agricultural fields. Fertilizers can be divided into three groups:

1. Mineral fertilizers (phosphorus and potash) are mined from

the environment and crushed or chemically treated before
being applied.
2. Organic fertilizers (manure and compost) are made from animal
feces, and plant or animal decomposed matter.
3. Industrial fertilizers (ammonium phosphate, urea, ammonium
nitrate) are produced industrially by humans through
chemical reactions.

While organic and mineral fertilizers have been used to increase crop
yields in agriculture for a long time, industrial fertilizers are a relatively
new development. Even so, industrial fertilizers are the most widely
used fertilizers today.

WHY DO WE NEED NITROGEN-CONTAINING

FERTILIZERS?
Nitrogen is one of the elements, or nutrients, that all living things
(microorganisms, plants, and animals) need to grow. Although, there
is a lot of nitrogen all around us (∼78% of the air we breathe), most
of the nitrogen on Earth is present as a colorless and odorless gas,
called nitrogen gas (N2 ). Unfortunately, plants and animals cannot
directly use nitrogen gas. As humans, we get our nitrogen from
the food we eat. High protein foods like meat, fish, nuts, or beans
are high in nitrogen. Plants get their nitrogen from the soil and
nitrogen is the most common nutrient to limit plant growth. There
are two ways nitrogen gas is naturally transformed or “fixed” into
nitrogen-containing compounds that can end up in soil, without
human intervention (Figure 1):

1. Lightning: Lightning strikes generate enough energy to split

nitrogen gas in the atmosphere creating nitrogen-containing
compounds, which end up in soil.
2. Biological nitrogen fixation: Some microorganisms can use
nitrogen gas directly as a nutrient. These specialized
microorganisms convert nitrogen gas to ammonium (NH4 + ) and
are called “nitrogen fixers.” Some nitrogen-fixing microorganisms
live in soil, and some can form a close relationship with the roots
of certain plants, like beans or clover.

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 Sedlacek et al. Nitrogen-Containing Fertilizers

Figure 1
How nitrogen gas fixed
into a form that can be
used by plants and
animals. (A) Lightning
strikes can split
nitrogen gas (red) in the
atmosphere. The newly
created nitrogen
compounds (blue) then
fall down onto soils and
naturally fertilize them.
(B) Specialized nitrogen
fixing microorganisms
in the soil or attached
to plant roots can
transform nitrogen gas
into nitrogen
compounds that can
be used by plants and
animals. (C) Nitrogen
gas can be transformed
into usable nitrogen
Figure 1
compounds industrially
with the Haber-Bosch
process to make
fertilizers, which can be
directly applied to soils.
However, even with all this natural nitrogen fixation, low nitrogen
levels in soils often still limit plant growth. This is why most fertilizers
contain nitrogen compounds and why industrial fertilizers are essential
NITROGEN in order to produce enough crops to feed the human population.
FIXATION Humans now add as much or more industrially fixed nitrogen (∼150
billion kilograms) to the environment each year, than is naturally fixed
The process of
converting nitrogen gas [1, 2]. One hundred and fifty billion kilograms (∼330 billion pounds)
into nitrogen of anything is hard to imagine, but this is equal to the weight of ∼24
containing million fully grown adult elephants!
compounds. Nitrogen
fixation can occur
naturally through
lightning strikes, be HOW ARE NITROGEN-CONTAINING INDUSTRIAL
performed by
specialized
FERTILIZERS PRODUCED?
microorganisms, or be
accomplished industrially. As mentioned, most nitrogen on Earth is present as nitrogen gas,
which is unusable for plants and animals. In the early 1900’s, scientists
discovered how to transform nitrogen gas from the atmosphere into
nitrogen-containing compounds that could be used to fertilize soils
(Figure 1). This industrial fixation is called the Haber-Bosch process.
HABER-BOSCH
Almost all the nitrogen in industrial fertilizers is fixed through the
PROCESS
Haber-Bosch process.
An industrial nitrogen
fixation process that
can be performed in a This industrial fixation of nitrogen is performed in chemical laboratories
laboratory to produce and large factories all over the world. The Haber-Bosch process
fertilizer components. requires that nitrogen gas be mixed with hydrogen gas (H2 ) and put
It was discovered by
and is named for the
under enormous pressure (200 times atmospheric pressure). This is
scientists Fritz Haber the pressure you would feel if you dove 2,000 meters (∼6,500 feet)
and Carl Bosch. underneath the sea, which is a longer distance than 6 Eiffel Towers
stacked on top of one another! This pressurized gas mixture is then

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 Sedlacek et al. Nitrogen-Containing Fertilizers

heated to very high temperatures (450◦ C/842◦ F). Sustaining these high
pressures and temperatures requires a huge amount of energy. The
Haber-Bosch process is estimated to consume 1–2% of the world’s
energy supply each year [2].

WHY DO WE USE SO MUCH NITROGEN-CONTAINING

INDUSTRIAL FERTILIZER?
The short answer is that nitrogen-containing fertilizers help crop
plants grow faster and helps to produce more crops. This allows
agricultural land to be used more efficiently because fertilized land
produces more food. In fact, the invention of industrial fertilizers is
one of the main reasons the Earth’s population has grown so quickly in
the last 60–70 years. Before the widespread use of industrial fertilizers
in the 1960’s, it took ∼123 years for the Earth’s population to double
from 1 to 2 billion (1804–1927). However, it only took ∼45 years
(1974–2019) for the Earth’s population to double from 4 to 8 billion.
Now, we are so dependent on nitrogen fertilization that we would
only be able to produce enough food to feed ∼50% of the world’s
population without it [1, 2].

WHERE DOES THE NITROGEN FROM

NITROGEN-CONTAINING FERTILIZER END UP?
The crops take it up of course! Unfortunately, that is not the end of
the story. For a more detailed look at all the reactions in the nitrogen
cycle, you should read this Young Minds Article: “What is the Nitrogen
Cycle and Why is it Key to Life” [3]. In an average agricultural field, only
∼50% of the nitrogen from fertilizers is used by crops [4]. So, while
fertilizers make crops grow better and faster, half of the fixed nitrogen
we add is lost. Imagine that—we lose the equivalent of 12 million
nitrogen elephants (∼165 billion pounds) every year! The lost nitrogen
can end up in the atmosphere or it can be washed out of the soil and
end up in waterways, such as groundwater, streams, lakes, rivers, and
oceans (Figure 2). This lost nitrogen causes a variety of environmental
problems [2].

WHAT ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS DO

GREENHOUSE
NITROGEN-CONTAINING FERTILIZERS CAUSE?
GASES
Gases that trap heat in Some soil microorganisms can transform nitrogen provided in
the atmosphere much fertilizers into nitrogen-containing gases, which get released into the
like the roof of a atmosphere like the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2 O). Greenhouse
greenhouse traps heat
to protect the plants gases are one of the main factors accelerating global warming. Nitrous
growing in it from cold oxide has a warming potential ∼300 times greater than the most
weather and frost. commonly mentioned greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (CO2 ).

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 Sedlacek et al. Nitrogen-Containing Fertilizers

Figure 2
Where nitrogen ends
up in the environment.
Nitrogen from fertilizers
that is not taken up by
plants can be lost from
the soil. (A) Nitrogen
can be leached from
the soil and enter into
waterways either above
ground (lakes, streams,
rivers, or oceans) or
into ground water.
Nitrogen leaching into
aquatic ecosystems
can lead to harmful
algal blooms and the
eutrophication of
waterways. (B) Some
microorganisms are
able to transform the
nitrogen in fertilizer
into a variety of
different nitrogen
containing gases. This
gaseous nitrogen can
then be lost to the
atmosphere in the form
of greenhouses gases. Figure 2

EUTROPHICATION
A change in an In waterways, the addition of external nutrients (like excess nitrogen)
environment’s nutrient
status caused by high
is called eutrophication. Eutrophication is an unwanted fertilization
levels of nutrients of a waterway and it promotes the growth of microorganisms, algae,
(nitrogen or and plants, just like the fertilization of soil. However, the fast growth
phosphorus) entering of microorganisms and plants can use up all the oxygen in these
waterways (lakes, rivers,
or oceans). One major waterways and turn them into so-called dead zones, because aquatic
consequence is animals cannot live without oxygen. Eutrophication can also lead
harmful algal blooms to the growth of algal species that produce toxic chemicals, called
and the loss of
aquatic life.
harmful algal blooms.

While we need nitrogen from fertilizers in our agricultural soils, we do

not need or want additional nitrogen in our atmosphere or waterways.
HARMFUL ALGAL This means we have to balance the positive benefits of nitrogen
BLOOMS fertilization (more food) with the negative consequences of excess
When cyanobacteria fertilizer (environmental problems) [1, 2]. Scientists are currently
and algae grow very working to find this balance to improve our current situation.
fast because of large
amounts of nutrients
(nitrogen or
phosphorus) present in WHAT FERTILIZER RELATED RESEARCH IS CURRENTLY
the waters they live in. BEING DONE?
These cyanobacteria
and algae release
One main goal of fertilizer related research is to decrease the amount
harmful
chemicals—toxins—into of industrially fixed nitrogen that is lost (∼12 million elephants worth)
the waterway. to the atmosphere and waterways. This solution is called improving

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 Sedlacek et al. Nitrogen-Containing Fertilizers

Figure 3
Two examples of
current research into
improving fertilizer
efficiency. (A)
Microbiologists and soil
scientists are working
to improve the growth
of nitrogen fixing
microorganisms found
in the soil, to increase
biological nitrogen
fixation. This will
increase the nitrogen
content of the soil
(blue). (B) Plant
Figure 3
biologists are working
to create crop plants
that are capable of
fixing nitrogen gas (red)
directly from the the nitrogen use efficiency of agricultural environments. Here are a
atmosphere into their few examples of ongoing fertilizer research:
tissues. This would
reduce the need to add
Microbiologists and soil scientists are working on ways to improve
nitrogen containing
fertilizers to these field conditions to promote the growth of naturally occurring
crops. soil nitrogen-fixing bacteria. In addition, they are also working on
ways to prevent the growth of soil microorganisms that contribute
to fixed nitrogen being lost to the atmosphere or waterways
(Figure 3). Together, this would reduce the overall amount of
nitrogen-containing fertilizer needed to get the same crop yield.

Chemists are working on designing fertilizers that are stable in soils

over longer time periods and are less likely to be broken down by
microorganisms. These slow release fertilizers release little bits of
nutrients at a time, so nutrients are available throughout the lifetime
of the crops. This approach is still dependent on nitrogen-containing
fertilizers, but it would reduce the amount of fertilizer needed and
decrease the nitrogen lost.

Plant biologists are trying to genetically engineer crops that would

require less nitrogen from fertilizers [5]. These crops would be able
to fix their own nitrogen from nitrogen gas, just like the specialized
nitrogen-fixing microorganisms. These crops would need less fertilizer
to produce the same crop yield (Figure 3).

Computer scientists and soil scientists are working together to design

smart fertilization systems, which can monitor soil and air conditions
in agricultural fields. These systems can then add small amounts of
fertilizer only when needed. This minimizes the amount of fertilizer
added, makes fertilizer additions targeted to the crops needs, and
decreases the amount of nitrogen lost.

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Sedlacek et al. Nitrogen-Containing Fertilizers

SUMMARY
Fertilizers provide crops with essential nutrients like nitrogen, so that
the crops grow bigger, faster, and produce more food. However,
applying too much fertilizer can be a problem because it leads to
the release of greenhouse gases and eutrophication. Scientists are
currently trying to find solutions to reduce the amount of fertilizers
needed, without reducing the amount of food produced.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Linnea Kop graciously created and granted permission for the use of
her illustrations for all of the figures used in this article.

REFERENCES
1. Galloway, J. N., Leach, A. M., Erisman, J. W., and Bleeker, A. 2017. Nitrogen: the
historical progression from ignorance to knowledge, with a view to future
solutions. Soil Res. 55:417–24. doi: 10.1071/SR16334
2. Erisman, J. W., Galloway, J. N., Dice, N. B., Sutton, M. A., Bleeker, A., Grizzetti, B.,
et al. 2015. Nitrogen: Too Much of a Vital Resource. Science Brief. Zeist:
WWF Netherlands.
3. Aczel, M. 2019. What is the nitrogen cycle and why is it key to life? Front. Young
Minds 7:41. doi: 10.3389/frym.2019.00041
4. Hirel, B., Tétu, T., Lea, P. J., and Dubois, F. 2011. Improving nitrogen use
efficiency in crops for sustainable agriculture. Sustainability 3:1452–85.
doi: 10.3390/su3091452
5. Good, A., 2018. Toward nitrogen-fixing plants: a concerted research effort could
yield engineered plants that can directly fix nitrogen. Science 359:869–70.
doi: 10.1126/science.aas8737

SUBMITTED: 21 July 2019; ACCEPTED: 09 April 2020;

PUBLISHED ONLINE: 20 May 2020.

EDITED BY: Mark A. Brandon,The Open University, United Kingdom

CITATION: Sedlacek CJ, Giguere AT and Pjevac P (2020) Is Too Much Fertilizer a
Problem? Front. Young Minds 8:63. doi: 10.3389/frym.2020.00063

CONFLICT OF INTEREST: The authors declare that the research was conducted in
the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed
as a potential conflict of interest.

COPYRIGHT © 2020 Sedlacek, Giguere and Pjevac. This is an open-access article

distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY).
The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the
original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original
publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice.

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Sedlacek et al. Nitrogen-Containing Fertilizers

No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these
terms.

YOUNG REVIEWER
ARYAN, AGE: 15
Aryan is a budding learner who enjoys reading about scientific advancements
especially in the field of climate change and energy. Outside the classroom, Aryan
is a fabulous football player full of energy and gusto. One day, he hopes that
Manchester United can win the English Premier League, although if they go on losing
to Newcastle, that day is far away!

AUTHORS
CHRISTOPHER J. SEDLACEK
I am a Post-doctoral Researcher at the University of Vienna in Austria. My research is
focused on understanding how bacteria survive and grow in the environment. I am
really interested in microbes called nitrifiers, which are microbes that use nitrogen
compounds (like some found in fertilizer) to get all of their energy. The goal of my
research is to understand how nitrifiers grow so we can control how and where they
grow in the environment. Outside of science I enjoy listening to music and playing
ice hockey. *[email protected]

ANDREW T. GIGUERE
I am a Post-doctoral Researcher at the University of Aalborg in Denmark and the
University of Vienna in Austria. My research interests are focused on microorganisms
in soil involved in nitrogen cycling. In particular, I want to know more about
the physical and chemical factors that control the activity of different groups of
microorganisms involved in the nitrogen cycle. I am also interested in how the
activity of these tiny microorganisms can have big impacts on agriculture and
environmental health. [email protected]

PETRA PJEVAC
I am a Senior Scientist at the University of Vienna in Austria. I research how
different microorganisms grow and what they can eat. This information is stored
in their DNA, their genomes—which is like the hard drive of a microorganism that
contains all the data on what it can do. Based on this information, I want to
understand why some microorganisms grow better in certain environments than
other microorganisms. When not at work, I explore the parks and forests around
Vienna with my three children. [email protected]

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