How many tons of fertilizer are required for a 160-acre field if 90 pounds of P2O5 is recommended per acre?

To determine the correct amount of fertilizer needed for a 160-acre field with a recommendation of 90 pounds of P2O5 per acre, you start by calculating the total amount of P2O5 required for the entire field.

First, multiply the per-acre recommendation by the total number of acres:

90 pounds/acre × 160 acres = 14,400 pounds of P2O5.

Next, to convert pounds into tons, recognize that there are 2,000 pounds in a ton. Thus, you can convert the total pounds into tons by dividing by 2,000:

14,400 pounds ÷ 2,000 pounds/ton = 7.2 tons of P2O5 required.

The question might have asked explicitly about the total fertilizer needed, but since P2O5 is a component of fertilizers, and typically fertilizers will contain various nutrients, the calculation might lead one to conclude a greater total fertilizer need based on specific formulation percentages. However, without additional details about the fertilizer type, it’s standard practice to use the calculated amount directly.

In terms of the answer choices provided, it seems that the context leads you towards estimating a higher fertilizer tonnage requirement when rounding based on industry practices or specific formulations which