With the expected population growth, the demand for food and other goods that come from agriculture increases. Farmers depend on the land to reap the benefits of what can be grown in the soil. While it is important to produce as much as possible, there is also a fine line between what is produced and how much land will be depleted. Farmers and farmers will have to work harder than ever in the future to maintain the balance between yields and conservation. The nutrient ecosystem in the soil is very fragile and if farmers are not careful they will damage the ecosystem, which will cause farmers to lose crops and the world to lose its resources. Nutrient management is important for the future of agriculture because responsible nutrient management helps produce more crops to sustain the world. There are many factors that come into play in proper nutrient management. Fertilizers Fertilizers are at the forefront of nutrient management because they affect the ability of plants to grow and produce seeds. Fertilizers are defined as a chemical or natural substance added to soil to increase its fertility. Many essential plant nutrients are added to the soil through fertilizers. Some of the most important 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 as it directly affects the ability of plants to grow, as plants depend on the amount of nitrogen in the soil. Phosphorus is vital for the plant to convert solar energy into food, feed and fibre, and also plays a key role in photosynthesis. Potassium... center 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 some chemical and biological properties of soil. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies. vol. 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) . Sustainability of agriculture and intensive production practices. Nature. vol. 418. Retrieved from http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v418/n6898/pdf/nature01014.pdf