Fertilizer

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Fertilizers are materials used to supply essential nutrients to plants, and they can be classified into three main types:

Straight Fertilizers: Provide a single primary nutrient like nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium (e.g., Urea, Ammonium Sulphate).

Complex Fertilizers: Contain two or more primary nutrients chemically combined, usually in granular form (e.g., Diammonium Phosphate, Nitrophosphates).

Mixed Fertilizers: Blends of straight fertilizers, offering multiple primary nutrients, mixed either manually or mechanically.

Fertilizer Classification

1. Based on Physical Form:

Solid Fertilizers: Include powders, crystals, prills, granules, supergranules, and briquettes.

Liquid Fertilizers: Applied through irrigation or directly, they are popular for ease of handling and reduced labor needs.

2. Based on Nutrient Concentration:

High Analysis Fertilizers: Contain more than 25% primary nutrients (e.g., Urea).

Low Analysis Fertilizers: Contain less than 25% primary nutrients (e.g., SSP).

3. Based on Acidity and Basicity:

Acid-forming Fertilizers: Suitable for alkaline soils, leaving an acid residue.

Alkaline-forming Fertilizers: Ideal for acidic soils, leaving an alkaline residue.

Nitrogenous Fertilizers

Nitrogenous fertilizers are essential for addressing nitrogen deficiency in soils, with urea being the most widely used. These fertilizers are categorized based on the form of nitrogen they contain:

Nitrate Fertilizers: Highly mobile nitrogen in nitrate form, suitable for acidic soils (e.g., Sodium Nitrate, Calcium Nitrate).

Ammoniacal Fertilizers: Contain nitrogen in ammonium form, resistant to leaching, ideal for submerged or alkaline soils (e.g., Ammonium Sulphate).

Fertilizers with Both Nitrate & Ammoniacal Forms: Provide balanced nitrogen supply (e.g., Ammonium Nitrate).

Amide Fertilizers: High nitrogen content, like urea, which is highly soluble and converts quickly to ammonia in the soil.

Phosphatic Fertilizers

Phosphatic fertilizers provide phosphorus in a form absorbable by plants, categorized based on solubility:

Water-Soluble Phosphatic Fertilizers: Easily dissolve in water, making phosphorus readily available (e.g., Single Superphosphate).

Citric Acid-Soluble Phosphatic Fertilizers: Suitable for acidic soils, they dissolve in weak acids like citric acid (e.g., Basic Slag).

Water and Citrate-Insoluble Phosphatic Fertilizers: Suitable for highly acidic or organic soils, phosphorus is released slowly through microbial activity.

Potassium Fertilizers

Potassium fertilizers are essential for specific crops and soils:

Muriate of Potash(MOP): Contains 60% potash, but is not recommended for top dressing due to chlorine content.

Sulphate of Potash: Water-soluble and can be applied at any growth stage.

Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE)

NUE is a critical measure of how efficiently crops use applied nitrogen, influencing crop production, environmental impact, and sustainability. High NUE indicates better nutrient use but doesn't always guarantee environmental safety. It is often assessed by parameters like Apparent Nitrogen Recovery (ANR) and Agronomic Efficiency (AE)..

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Fertilizer

Fertilizers are materials, either natural or synthetic, used to supply essential nutrients to plants. They can be categorized into three types:

1. Straight Fertilizers: These provide a single primary nutrient like nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium (e.g., Urea, Ammonium Sulphate).
2. Complex Fertilizers: Containing two or more primary nutrients, these fertilizers are chemically combined and typically come in granular form (e.g., Diammonium Phosphate, Nitrophosphates).
3. Mixed Fertilizers: These are blends of straight fertilizers, providing two or three primary nutrients, mixed either manually or mechanically.

Comparison between Organic Manure and Fertilizer

Feature	Organic Manure	Fertilizer
Source	Derived from natural sources like plants and animals	Synthetically produced chemicals
Nutrient Content	Lower nutrient concentration; varies widely	High nutrient concentration; specific nutrient content
Release of Nutrients	Slow and sustained release of nutrients	Rapid release of nutrients
Soil Health	Improves soil structure, moisture retention, and fertility	May degrade soil structure and reduce microbial activity
Environmental Impact	Eco-friendly, less pollution	Can cause water pollution and contribute to soil degradation
Cost	Generally lower, often made from waste materials	Higher cost due to manufacturing processes
Application	Requires larger quantities for the same nutrient effect	Smaller quantities required due to high nutrient content

Fertilizer Classification

Based on Physical Form

Fertilizers can be classified as solid or liquid.

Solid Fertilizers:

• Powder (e.g., Single Superphosphate)
• Crystals (e.g., Ammonium Sulphate)
• Prills (e.g., Urea, Diammonium Phosphate)
• Granules
• Supergranules (e.g., Urea Supergranules)
• Briquettes (e.g., Urea Briquettes)

Liquid Fertilizers:

Applied through irrigation or directly, liquid fertilizers are popular due to their easy handling, reduced labor needs, and ability to mix with herbicides.

Based on Nutrient Concentration

• High Analysis Fertilizers: Contain more than 25% of primary nutrients (e.g., Urea, Anhydrous Ammonia).
• Low Analysis Fertilizers: Contain less than 25% of primary nutrients (e.g., SSP, NaNO3).

Based on Acidity and Basicity

Acid-forming Fertilizers: Suitable for alkaline soils as they leave an acid residue. Example: Ammonium Sulphate requires 110 kg of CaCO₃ to neutralize 100 kg of fertilizer.

Fertilizer Equivalent Acidity

Fertilizer	Equivalent Acidity
Ammonium Nitrate	60
Urea	80
Ammonium Phosphate	86
Ammonium Sulphate Nitrate	93
Ammonium Sulphate	110
Ammonium Chloride	128

Alkaline-forming Fertilizers: Ideal for acidic soils as they leave an alkaline residue.

Fertilizer	Equivalent Basicity
Calcium Nitrate	21
Sodium Nitrate	29
Di-calcium Phosphate	25
Calcium Cyanamide	63

Nitrogenous Fertilizers

Nitrogenous fertilizers are vital due to the common nitrogen deficiency in soils. Over 80% of fertilizers used are nitrogenous, particularly urea, which significantly boosts crop production. These fertilizers are classified based on the form in which nitrogen is combined with other elements:

Nitrate Fertilizers

Nitrogen in nitrate form (NO₃⁻) is highly mobile and readily available to plants, though it is prone to leaching. Suitable for acidic soils.

• Sodium Nitrate: 15.6% N
• Calcium Nitrate: 15.5% N, 19.5% Ca
• Potassium Nitrate: 13% N, 45% K₂O

Ammoniacal Fertilizers

These fertilizers contain nitrogen in ammonium form, are water-soluble, and resist leaching. Ideal for submerged or alkaline soils.

• Ammonium Sulphate: 20.6% N, 24% S
• Ammonium Chloride: 26% N
• Ammonium Phosphates (MAP, DAP)

Fertilizers with Both Nitrate & Ammoniacal Forms

These contain nitrogen in both forms, providing a balanced nutrient supply.

• Ammonium Nitrate: 33-35% N
• Calcium Ammonium Nitrate: 26% N, 10% Ca

Amide Fertilizers

Urea is the most widely used, containing 46% N. It is highly concentrated and water-soluble, leading to rapid soil conversion to ammonia.

• Urea: 46% N
• Calcium Cyanamide: 20.6% N

Phosphatic Fertilizer Types

Phosphatic fertilizers provide phosphorus in a form that plants can absorb, typically measured as phosphorus pentoxide (P₂O₅). The availability of phosphorus to plants depends on the fertilizer's ability to supply HPO₄²⁻ or H₂PO₄⁻ ions. Based on solubility, phosphatic fertilizers are categorized into three types:

1. Water-Soluble Phosphatic Fertilizers

These fertilizers dissolve easily in water, making phosphorus readily available to plants. Examples include:

• Single Superphosphate (SSP): Contains 16% P₂O₅ and 12% sulfur.
• Triple Superphosphate (TSP): Contains 44% P₂O₅ and 1-1.5% sulfur.

The common examples of these fertilizers are:

S.N.	Fertiliser	% P2O5
I	Single Superphosphate	16% P2O5
II	Double Superphosphate	32% P2O5
III	Triple Superphosphate	46 - 48% P2O5
IV	Ammonium Phosphate	20% P2O5

2. Citric Acid-Soluble Phosphatic Fertilizers

These fertilizers dissolve in weak acids like citric acid, making them ideal for acidic soils. They ensure phosphorus availability in such conditions by converting to monocalcium phosphate, which is less likely to be fixed by iron and aluminum. Examples include:

• Basic Slag: A by-product of the steel industry, containing 18% P₂O₅.
• Dicalcium Phosphate: Contains 34-39% P₂O₅.

3. Water and Citrate-Insoluble Phosphatic Fertilizers

These fertilizers contain phosphorus that is insoluble in both water and citric acid, making them suitable for highly acidic or organic soils. Phosphorus is released slowly over time through microbial activity, ensuring long-term availability.

Potassium Fertilizer Types

Potassium fertilizers should be used when there's a confirmed deficiency of potassium in the soil. They are particularly effective in sandy garden soils and for crops like chilies, potatoes, and fruit trees, enhancing both the quality and appearance of the produce. The two main types of potassium fertilizers are:

1. Muriate of Potash

A gray crystalline fertilizer containing 60% potash, not recommended for top dressing due to its chlorine content, which can harm chlorophyll.

2. Sulphate of Potash

Created by treating potassium chloride with magnesium sulfate, this fertilizer dissolves easily in water and can be applied at any stage, including sowing.

Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE)

NUE is vital for assessing crop production systems, influenced by fertilizer management, soil, and water relationships. High NUE indicates efficient nutrient use, reducing environmental impact, though it may not always correlate with environmental safety. Efficiency is often measured by Apparent Nitrogen Recovery (ANR), Agronomic Efficiency (AE), and Production Efficiency (PE), with high nutrient uptake leading to better results.

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