Agricultural Chemicals and the Environment
OVERVIEW
NAME/DATE:
UNIT: Performance of Technical Skills Related to Animal Science and Technology
LESSON: Agricultural Chemicals and the Environment
IMS REFERENCE: IMS #8415
EFFECTS OF CHEMICALS UPON THE ENVIRONMENT
Topic Goal:
The student shall be provided the opportunity to determine the effects of chemicals upon the
environment as a means of explaining the relationship between agriculture and the environment.
Topic Objectives:
After completing the topic, the student will be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
explain the role and scope of fertilizer use in the world;
define and explain primary elements and fertilizer classification/analysis;
recognize the role and scope of pesticide use in agriculture;
list and discuss the classification of common pests and pesticides; and
realize the effects of fertilizers and pesticides on the environment.
STUDENT NOTES
Agricultural production in the United States has benefited from the use of _________________
enabling Americans to be the ________________ and ______________ population in the world.
Chemicals, which have been used to fight ____________ and __________ ___________ since
ancient times, can mostly be classified either ____________________ or ___________________.
FERTILIZERS
The largest group of chemicals used in agriculture is ____________________. A fertilizer is a
material that ________________ _________________ to plants that are ______________ in the
soil.
For growth, plants require _______ chemical elements in varying amounts. The three elements
that plants require in the ______________ amounts are called ______________ elements and
include ________________, ____________________, and _________________.
A ________________ fertilizer is one that contains all of the ______________ nutrients. The
fertilizer ________________ represented by three numbers, in order, indicates the percentage by
_____________ of nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K). For example, a blend
grade 20-15-10 contains _______% N, _______% P, and _______% K.
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Agricultural Chemicals and the Environment
The ___________ of a fertilizer is the analysis of a fertilizer mix reduced to its _____________
_____________ ____________________.
For example, a 13-13-13 analysis has a ratio of
_______:_______:_______. Soil test __________________________ refer to ratios. If a soil
report recommended an 80-40-40 application, a fertilizer such as 20:10:10, with the same
_____:_____:_____ ratio, would be needed. It would be applied at a rate of ______ pounds per
acre.
Fertilizers are classified as either ______________ (natural) or _________________ (chemical).
Organic fertilizers commonly come from ___________ and _____________ residues. Most
fertilizers are _________________ fertilizers, which are composed of matter other than plant or
animal substances, and are commonly called ________________ fertilizers.
The ____________________ can be affected by fertilizer production and use.
During the
___________________ process, certain amounts of chemicals may be ___________________
into the air. If fertilizers are ___________________, there could be a problem with surface
_____________. Fertilizer use becomes a concern when water runoff ______________________
water supplies, promoting the growth of ___________ and other ________________ water
organisms in the water ______________.
PESTICIDES
A _________________ is a chemical that is used to control ________________
_________________
or
pests.
___________ cause
damage
to
___________
and
_________________ resulting in losses of millions of dollars. Almost $3 billion annually is
spent by farmers in the United States to ______________ ___________.
Crop production
accounts for ________ of the pesticide costs, while livestock production accounts for
____________________.
One way that pesticides are classified is selectivity. A selective pesticide is one that kills certain
organisms without harming others. Nonselective or general pesticides kill a wide range of
organisms.
A common _________________________ system of pesticides is based on the pest that the
chemical ________________. Some examples of this system are:

Insecticides control ______________;
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
Fungicides control ___________;

Herbicides control ___________;

Rodenticides control ______________;

Bactericides control ________________;

Avicides control ___________; and

Defoliants control _____________ on plants.
Many pesticides are _________________ within a broad group of organisms. For example, the
classification of insecticides is either ______________ or ______________ poisons. Stomach
poisons are used to control ______________ insects which _____________ the poison when they
__________ on plant materials. Contact poisons are used to control ______________ insects by
____________________ the insect’s __________ or entering through _________________ or
______________ pores.
THE ENVIRONMENT
The ________________ of using chemicals include:

Increase __________ ___________________ by controlling weeds and pests;

Decrease __________ _____________ near roads, recreational areas, and many other
public areas;

Reduce _____________ risks and control of _________________;

Discourage ____________________ by destructive insects and fungi;

Treatment for __________ and their environment; and

Production of ______________ foods at relatively ________ _____________.
The ___________ of using chemicals must also be considered. Pesticides are ______________
and can be a significant health _____________ to humans.
Chemicals can have
________________ impacts on environments outside of the farm. Harmful ________________
can ___________ off the site, _________________ in the soil, ________ ________ into water
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systems, or _____________ on harvested crops.
Over time, pests may develop a
___________________ to pesticides.
Regulations are in place to _________________ or _____________ the risks of using chemicals
in
agricultural
production.
The
_______________________
___________________
_____________ is the federal agency that _________________ the use of agricultural chemicals
and _____________ may set their own standards that may go beyond federal standards.
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