Fertilizers

Fertilizers

Any material that supplies one or more of the chemical elements required for the plant growth and increase soil fertility.

What is Fertilizer?

A mixture of chemicals or naturally occurring matter that enhances the growth of plants.

types of Fertilizers

Organic and Inorganic

Organic Fertilizers

Organic fertilizers are obtained from plants and animal sources.

Example of Organic Fertilizers

• Compost

• green manure

• farmyard manure

• fish meal

Inorganic Fertilizers

Inorganic fertilizers are chemical substances manufactured from inorganic materials.

Examples of Inorganic Fertilizers

• NPK

• Urea

• Sulphate of ammonia

• Muriate of potash

Primary Macronutrients

• Nitrogen

• Phosphorus

• Potassium

Organic Amendments

Compost and similar materials created from once living organisms that are rich in organic matter and only contain amounts of nutrients.

Inorganic Amendments

Mined or man made materials that act only as wedges in the soil to separate soil particles, increase soil porosity, and improve aeration.

Nitrogen Fertilizer Chemical Forms

• Nitrate

• Ammonia

• Ammonium

• Urea

Soil pH

Refers to how acid or alkaline the soil is.

Secondary Macronutrients

• Calcium

• Magnesium

• Sulfur

Micronutrients

Nutrients plants require for growth that are needed in small quantities.

Solubility

How readily nutrients dissolve in the soil water and taken up by plants.

Particle Size

Physical size of the fertilizer component applied to soil.

Chemical Form

Chemical properties of each from of fertilizer determine how long it takes that type to be ready for use by the plants.

Soil Amendment

Material added to soil to improve its physical properties like water retention, permeability, aeration, and structure.

Disadvantages

• Over Fertilization

• Weed seed

• woody materials

• Robs Plants or nutrients

Soluble Fertilizers

Release their nutrients rapidly

3 step Conversion

Step 1 - Converted to ammonia by soil or plant residue.

Step 2 - Ammonia reacts with soil water to form ammonium.

Step 3 - Soil microorganisms