With expected population growth, the demand for food and other agricultural goods is increasing. Farmers depend on the land to reap the rewards of what can be grown in the soil. While it is important to produce as much as possible, the line between what is produced and how much land will be used up is also fine. Farmers and farmers will have to work harder than ever in the future to maintain the balance between yields and conservation. The ecosystem of nutrients in the soil is very fragile and if farmers are not careful, they will harm the ecosystem, resulting in loss of yields for farmers and loss of resources for the world. Nutrient management is important to the future of agriculture because responsible nutrient management helps produce more crops to support the planet. Many factors come into play in good nutrient management. FertilizersFertilizers are at the forefront of nutrient management because they affect the ability of plants to grow and produce seeds. Fertilizer is defined as a chemical or natural substance added to soil to increase fertility. Many essential plant nutrients are added to the soil via fertilizers. Some of the most essential nutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulfur. Stout (1990) explains that “nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium have traditionally been the primary concern for fertilizer energy and are known as primary nutrients” (p. 153). Nitrogen is the most important of these because it directly affects the growth ability of plants, as plants depend on the amount of nitrogen present in the soil. Phosphorus is essential for the plant to convert the sun's energy into food, feed and fiber and also plays a key role in photosynthesis. Potassium...... middle of paper ......ut, BA, Handbook of Energy for World Agriculture. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=JcdAAQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=the+importance+of+fertilizer+in+agriculture&ots=gBe14ajSxH&sig=OBXvUhwGOrF17UJeb-naHZLsH1k#v=onepage&q=the% 20importance%20of%20fertilizer%20i n%20agriculture&f=falseSwedrynska, D., Makecka, I., Bleckarczyk, A., Swedryzynski, A., Starzyk, J., (2013). Effects of various long-term tillage systems on certain chemical and biological properties of the soil. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies. Flight. 22 (6). Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=92702290&site=ehost-liveTilman D., Cassman, KG, Matson PA, Naylor, R., Polasky, S., (2002) . Agricultural sustainability and intensive production practices. Nature. Flight. 418. Retrieved from http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v418/n6898/pdf/nature01014.pdf