In which of the following industry is rock phosphate used?
- (a)Textile industry
- (b)Fertilizer industry
- (c)Sugar industry
- (d)Paper industry
Correct — B, Fertilizer industry. Rock phosphate (phosphorite) is a phosphate-rich sedimentary rock that is the principal raw material for manufacturing phosphatic fertilizers — such as single super phosphate (SSP) and di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) — which supply phosphorus (P), one of the three primary plant nutrients (N-P-K), to crops.
- (a)Textile industry — The textile industry's key raw materials are fibres (cotton, jute, silk, synthetic polymers) and dyes/chemicals — not rock phosphate.
- (c)Sugar industry — The sugar industry processes sugarcane/sugar beet into sugar and by-products; it has no use for rock phosphate as an input.
- (d)Paper industry — The paper industry's core raw materials are cellulose fibre sources (wood pulp, bamboo, bagasse) and bleaching chemicals — not rock phosphate.
Rock phosphate (phosphorite) is a phosphate-rich sedimentary mineral; it is the principal raw material for manufacturing phosphatic fertilizers, essential for supplying phosphorus — a primary plant nutrient — to crops.
The trap is picking an unrelated processing industry (textile, sugar, paper) by loose association with 'an industrial mineral' — lock the specific mineral-to-industry chain: rock phosphate goes to the phosphatic fertilizer industry.
- Rock phosphate is a phosphate-rich sedimentary rock (phosphorite).
- Its chief industrial use is as feedstock for phosphatic fertilizers (SSP, DAP, etc.), supplying phosphorus (P) — one of the three primary plant nutrients (N-P-K).
- Rock phosphate is largely insoluble in water, so it must be chemically treated (acidulated) into soluble phosphate fertilizers before efficient field application.
- Rock phosphate deposits are mined specifically to feed this fertilizer-manufacturing chain.
- Picking an unrelated processing industry (textile/sugar/paper) by loose association
- Assuming rock phosphate can be applied directly and efficiently via drip fertigation — it is largely insoluble and needs chemical treatment first
MPPSC/UPSC test mineral-to-industry chains ('X mineral is used in Y industry') — lock each key mineral to its one specific industrial use.
What are the advantages of fertigation in agriculture? 1. Controlling the alkalinity of irrigation water is possible. 2. Efficient application of Rock Phosphate and all other phosphatic fertilizers is possible. 3. Increased availability of nutrients to plants is possible. 4. Reduction in the leaching of chemical nutrients is possible. Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- (a) 1, 2 and 3 only
- (b) 1, 2 and 4 only
- (c) 1, 3 and 4 only
- (d) 2, 3 and 4 only
Answer(c) 1, 3 and 4 only
Tests the same rock phosphate-to-phosphatic-fertilizer link — noting rock phosphate is largely insoluble, so it cannot be efficiently applied via drip fertigation despite being the raw material for phosphatic fertilizers.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The three primary macronutrients supplied to crops through chemical fertilizers are:
- (a)Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium
- (b)Calcium, Sulphur, Iron
- (c)Zinc, Boron, Copper
- (d)Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen
Answer(a) Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium (N-P-K) — rock phosphate supplies the 'P'.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which of the following statements about rock phosphate is correct?
- (a)It is highly water-soluble and ideal for drip fertigation
- (b)It is a phosphate-rich sedimentary rock used chiefly to manufacture phosphatic fertilizers
- (c)It is the principal ore of iron
- (d)It is used mainly in the textile printing industry
Answer(b) — rock phosphate (phosphorite) is a phosphate-rich sedimentary rock, the raw material for phosphatic fertilizers like SSP and DAP; it is largely insoluble, so statement (a) is wrong.