By Jess and Becky H

Improving food production: pesticides, fertilisers and antibiotics

Fertilisers:
Fertilisers are minerals needed for plant growth, which are added to the soil to improve its fertility
They replaces minerals in the soil which may have been removed by previous crops
Fertilisers containing nitrate, potassium and phosphate ions are the most common:
o Nitrogen is required for making proteins, which are required for plant growth, so
increasing the nitrogen levels will boost the rate of growth and size of the crops
o Phosphorus is required in making cell membranes (phospholipid bilayer contains
phosphorus) as well as ATP molecules
o Potassium is essential for the metabolism of the plant
Common organic fertilisers include animal urea, green manure (plants which are grown for a period of
time, then ploughed under the soil when they die) and composted organic food waste (vegetable
peelings, egg shells etc.)

Pesticides:
A pesticide is a chemical that kills organisms that cause disease in crops, which would reduce the yield
or kill the crop
Pesticides control pest organisms by physically, chemically or biologically interfering with their
metabolism or normal behaviour, so that the plants do not get diseased
Some pesticides are lethal to the target organisms and so kill them
Some pesticides are non-lethal and instead could work as:
o repellents (such as insect repellents)
o sterilising agents (they interfere with the reproductive ability of the organism)
o defoliants (which cause leaf drop without killing the plant)
Pyrethroids are commonly used as household insecticides and interfere with the nervous system of
the insects by preventing the electrical impulses from travelling through the nervous system,
paralysing the insect.

Antibiotics:
An antibiotic is a chemical that kills or prevents reproduction in bacteria
Infected animals can be treated with antibiotics to reduce the spread of infection among animals that
are intensely farmed and in close proximity to each other
Antibiotics work in one of two ways:
o they kill bacteria by disrupting one of the processes that they need to survive, such as
respiration
o they prevent bacteria from reproducing and spreading, for example by disrupting the
processes bacteria use to produce new cells, such as growing new proteins
Antibiotics are used to treat diseases that could reduce the growth performance of the animals and
may impair reproduction, so that their yield is not reduced








By Jess and Becky H
Advantages and Disadvantage

Antibiotics
Advantages Disadvantages
Animals receiving antibiotics in their feed gain 4%
to 5% more body weight than animals that do not
receive antibiotics
Antibiotics are used for treatment of animal
disease and/or disease prevention
Livestock treated with antibiotics live longer than
those who are not treated
The shelf life is extended for meat, poultry, eggs,
and dairy products when treated with antibiotics.

Widespread antibiotic use has led to multidrug-
resistant pathogens
A joint National Research Council/Institute of
Medicine panel has concluded that antibiotic-
resistant human diseases (eg. Salmonella) have
"clearly occurred" due to bacteria from antibiotic-
treated livestock
Fluoroquinolones used in livestock animals can
contribute to increased resistance in foodborne
bacteria which can then infect humans. For
example, the Minnesota Health Department
found that 70% of the chicken meat samples they
collected were contaminated with campylobacter
(bacteria that are a common cause of food
poisoning), and that 20% of the infected meat
carried a resistant strain.


Pesticides and Fertilisers
Advantages Disadvantages
Increases crop yield as crops grow faster and
healthier - particularly when hybrid seeds are
used.
Improves land quality
Manure improves soil texture, recycles nitrogen
and introduces essential bacteria
Various types of pesticides are available in the
market for eradicating particular pest group with
variation in quantities and concentration
Pasture is improved so animals fatten up quicker
Once marshland is drained, fertilisers can help
reclaim that land for pasture
Pesticides reduce the cost of labourers as they do
not need to monitor the growth of pests and
usually one labourer is enough to spray a whole
farm.

Crops grow better, but so do weeds. Therefore
herbicide sprays are required too.
Better quality plants attract insects so pesticides
may be needed.
Eutrophication occurs - fertilisers used on farms
are washed off the land into rivers and lakes by
rainwater, resulting in an increase of nitrate or
phosphate in the water, which encourages algae
growth over the water surface. This prevents
sunlight reaching other water plants, which then
die. Bacteria break down the dead plants and use
up the oxygen in the water so the lake may be left
completely lifeless.
Chemicals need to be used safely - in poorer
countries in particular, farmers can damage their
health by applying chemicals incorrectly (eg.
spraying of pesticides causing compounds to be
suspended into the air which cause air borne
diseases and nasal infection to those who inhale
the compounds)
Some pesticides reduce the fertility of the soil as
they inhibit the storage of nitrogen therefore
more fertiliser is needed to counteract the effects
of the pesticides. This is less cost-efficient.