Consider the following statements:
- 1.Agricultural soils release nitrogen oxides into environment.
- 2.Cattle release ammonia into environment.
- 3.Poultry industry releases reactive nitrogen compounds into environment.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3
All three statements are correct, because farming is a major source of reactive nitrogen. Fertilised soils release nitrous oxide, and manure and urine from cattle and poultry give off ammonia.
- ✓ 1. When reactive nitrogen such as fertiliser reaches the soil, microbes convert part of it into nitrous oxide, an oxide of nitrogen and a greenhouse gas.
- ✓ 2. Much of the protein that cattle eat is lost in manure and urine, and this nitrogen escapes as ammonia and other nitrogenous gases.
- ✓ 3. Poultry waste is rich in nitrogen, and under aerobic conditions it can evaporate as ammonia, which is a reactive nitrogen compound.
Remember · Agriculture is a big source of reactive nitrogen: soils give nitrous oxide, while cattle and poultry manure gives ammonia.
Sources
- Four reasons why the world needs to limit nitrogen pollution, UNEP ↗ “When nitrogen in its active form, such as in fertiliser, is exposed to soil, microbial reactions take place that release nitrous oxide.”
- Industrial farming systems and the environment, FAO (Livestock and the environment) ↗ “Ammonia and other nitrogenous gases result from the digestion of protein, part of which is lost in manure and urine. … Pigs and poultry excrete some 65 to 70 percent, respectively, of their nitrogen and phosphate intake. Nitrogen, under aerobic conditions, can evaporate in the form of ammonia”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2019, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·