What impact does over-fertilization have on crops?

Over-fertilization significantly impacts crops by leading to nutrient imbalances and environmental damage. When fertilizers are applied in excess, they can create an accumulation of nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus, in the soil. This causes an imbalance in the nutrient profile that crops receive, potentially harming the plants instead of helping them. Crops may experience nutrient toxicity or deficiencies because the availability of certain nutrients is altered.

Moreover, over-fertilization can have serious environmental consequences. Excess nutrients can run off into waterways, leading to eutrophication, a process that depletes oxygen in the water and harms aquatic life. Additionally, over-fertilized soils may contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, particularly nitrous oxide, which has a significant impact on climate change.

In contrast, the other options present misleading or incorrect information. While some may mistakenly believe that over-fertilization could enhance crop yield, this is not universally true and often leads to negative outcomes instead. Claims that it enhances flavor or has no significant impact disregard the broader ecological and agronomic implications that over-fertilization carries.