Are fertilizers causing harm to microbiota?

The scientists of Rutgers University (New Jersey, USA) have studied the impact of mineral fertilizers on the number of invertebrates (nematodes, insects) in the natural environment.

According to the obtained data, an excess intake of nitrogen, as well as nitrogen with phosphorus, reduces the number of invertebrates in soils, however, the introduction of phosphorus doesn’t lead to a similar effect. The application of nitrogen in combination with phosphorus also causes its reduction in the water medium. Moreover, the negative impact is stronger in the tropics than in the temperate zone.

At the same time, no decrease in the diversity of invertebrates was revealed, possibly due to insufficient data. The scientists concluded the negative impact of the combined intake of nitrogen and phosphorus on the microbiota in both terrestrial and aquatic environments, both locally and globally.