Fertilizers and Farm Chemicals

This is one of the 18 Background Books published for Stage II of the Nuffield Chemistry Sample Scheme. The books were highly illustrated and designed to be attractive. This book describes applications of chemistry.

There are 3 parts to this book:
*Part 1: The World Food Problem
This part outlines the challenge to chemists to increase the yields of crops. (Nuffield Chemistry was subsequently criticised for failing to differentiate the variety of food problems in different parts of the World.)

*Part 2: Fertilizers
This part outlines the nutrient needs of plants and describes the manures and fertilizers that can be used to meet those needs. This part includes a clear diagram which boldly presents the cyclical nature of the nitrogen cycle. The part ends with historic photographs of farmers at work in the four seasons.

*Part 3: Farm chemicals
This part introduces three types of agrochemicals: insecticides, herbicides and fungicides. It includes examples of chemicals that have subsequently been withdrawn from use.

The book was first published in 1968. There is reference to the need for controls to deal with farm chemicals but, in the spirit of the times, there is no discussion of the environmental and health problems that have subsequently become issues.