It is more important now than ever before to educate youth on how to feed a population of nine billion by 2050. That is why Fertilizer Canada is proud to have partnered with the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum to create a new Soil Lab Discovery Zone. The lab aims to educate Ottawa's youth about the overlooked foundation of agriculture: soil. Launched on Earth Day on April 22, the Soil Lab has already been met with positive response from schools and museum visitors.
"For the staff and for our visitors, this lab is the basis for all we do here. We don't have agriculture without soil, water and sunlight," said Kerry-Leigh Burchill, General Director of the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum. "People tend to have a good understanding of water and photosynthesis and how they fit into agriculture, but they don't understand the unsung hero that is soil. That's what we're trying to change now."
The Canada Agriculture and Food Museum receives over 170,000 visitors annually – teaching them, with real soil science instruments, about the 13 essential nutrients found in soil, including the three most important to soil health and food production: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The Soil Lab also highlights the chemical, physical and biological properties of soil and explains how farmers manage their cropland through sustainable fertilizer use.
Fertilizer is the primary source for replenishing essential plant nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in soil in order to keep fields sustainable and food on our tables. Plants absorb these nutrients as they grow, and therefore farmers must replenish the soil to keep it viable and avoid depleted fields for the future.
"Understanding the role of soil in agriculture and the complexity behind nutrient management is important for the general public," said Garth Whyte, President and CEO of Fertilizer Canada. "Fertilizer is essential in maintaining a healthy level of nutrients in the soil to ensure agricultural sustainability."
Source:Newswire