"But **the energy required to make and to power farm machinery is dwarfed by the energy requirements of producing agrochemicals**. Modern farming requires fungicides and insecticides to minimize crop losses, and herbicides to prevent weeds from competing for the available plant nutrients and water. All of these are highly energy-intensive products but they are applied in relatively small quantities (just fractions of a kilogram per hectare). "In contrast, **fertilizers that supply the three essential plant macronutrients—nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium—require less energy per unit of the final product but are needed in large quantities to ensure high crop yields**." ([Location 1114](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08SGC3TD3&location=1114)) --- **Tags** -- [[quotes]], [[insecticides]], [[farming]], [[fertilisers]], **Source** -- [[202412030828 - B - How the World Really Works]]