FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

Fertilizer

BY
Amin muayad

SUPERVISOR
MR.ALI HOSSEIN
Introduction

Just like humans and animals, plants need adequate water, sufficient food, and protection from
diseases and pests to be healthy. Commercially produced fertilizers give growing plants the
nutrients they crave in the form they can most readily absorb and use: nitrogen (N), available
phosphate (P) and soluble potash (K). Elements needed in smaller amounts, or micronutrients,
include iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) and boron(B).Fertilizer is generally defined as "any
material, organic or inorganic, natural or synthetic, which supplies one or more of the chemical
elements required for the plant growth". Sixteen elements listed in Table 1.1 are identified as
essential elements for plant growth, of which nine are required in macro quantities and seven in
micro quantities Of the elements listed in Table No. 1.1, carbon, oxygen and hydrogen are
supplies by air and water and are, therefore, not treated as nutrients by the fertilizer industry. The
main aim of the industry is to provide the primary and secondary nutrients which are required in
macro quantities. As per the Fertilizer Control Order (FCO) 'fertilizer' means any substance used
or intended to be used as fertilizers of the soil and or crop and specified in part A of Schedule I
and includes a mixture of fertilizers and special mixture of fertilizers. Primary nutrients are
normally supplied through chemical fertilizers. They are chemical compounds containing one or
more of the primary nutrients and are generally produced by chemical reactions. Whatever may
be the chemical compounds, its most important ingredient for plant growth is the nutrient
content. The primary nutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium; however, their
concentration in a chemical fertilizer is expressed as a percentage of total nitrogen (N), available
phosphate (P2O5) and soluble (K2O). Thus, ammonium sulphate contains 20.6 per cent N; single
super phosphate 16 per cent P2O5 and nitrate of potash 60 per cent K2O.The grade of a fertilizer
is expressed as a set of three numbers in the order of per cent N, P2O5 and K2O. If a nutrient is
missing in a fertilizer, a zero represents it. Thus ammonium sulphate is represented as 20.6-0-0
(since it does not contain phosphorus and potassium), single super phosphate as 0-16-0 (as it
does not contain nitrogen and potash), nitrate of potash as 0-0-60 (as it does not contain nitrogen
or phosphorus). When a fertilizer contains more than one nutrient, for example diammonium
phosphate, it is shown as 18-46-0, indicating that it contains 18 per cent of nitrogen, 46 per cent
of P2O5 and no potash. Similarly, "Suphala", a nitro phosphate fertilizer produced by RCF,
Trombay, is shown as 15-15-15 indicating that the product contains 15 percent N, 15 per cent
P2O5 and 15 per cent K2O.
What is fertilizer?

A fertilizer is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues
to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants.

Fertilizers are classified in several ways. They are classified according to whether they provide a
single nutrient (e.g., K, P, or N), in which case they are classified as "straight fertilizers."
"Multinutrient fertilizers" (or "complex fertilizers") provide two or more nutrients, for example
N and P. Fertilizers are also sometimes classified as inorganic versus organic.

Inorganic fertilizers exclude carbon-containing materials except ureas. Organic fertilizers are
usually (recycled) plant- or animal-derived matter. Inorganic are sometimes called synthetic
fertilizers since various chemical treatments are required for their manufacture.

Types of fertilizer

1. Organic fertilizer
2. Inorganic fertilizer
 Nitrogen based fertilizer
 Phosphorous based fertilizer
 Potassium based fertilizer
 Complete and Balanced Inorganic fertilizers
 Slow-Release and Specially Formulated
3. Liquid fertilizer and Solid fertilizer
Organic fertilizer

Organic fertilizers are fertilizers derived from animal matter, animal excreta, human excreta, and
vegetable matter.

Naturally occurring organic fertilizers include animal wastes from meat processing, peat,
manure, slurry, and guano.

Inorganic fertilizer

Inorganic fertilizer, also known as mineral or commercial fertilizer, is fertilizer mined from
mineral deposits or manufactured from synthetic compounds.

Both organic fertilizer (composed of natural ingredients of plant or animal origin) and inorganic
fertilizer provide nutrients to assist with plant growth and improve plant yield

Types of inorganic fertilizer

1. Nitrogen Fertilizers

Inorganic nitrogen fertilizers come in many different forms, such as ammonium nitrate, potassium
nitrate, calcium nitrate and urea.

These fertilizers contain high levels of nitrogen, one of the most vital nutrients for plant growth.
However, these inorganic fertilizers tend to increase the pH of the soil upon application, increasing
the chances of burn and damage to seedlings.

Others pull moisture from the air, making them difficult to apply and store.
 2. Potassium Fertilizers

Inorganic potassium fertilizers include potassium sulphate and potassium nitrate, as well as muriate
of potash, also known as potassium chloride.

Muriate of potash is the most commonly used potassium fertilizer. In some cases, plants may be
sensitive to chloride. If a plant is sensitive to chloride, potassium sulphate, also known as sulphate of
potash, is a better choice, as it does not contain chloride.

Potassium nitrate is easy to apply, because it does not pull moisture from the air, but it does slightly
increase the pH of the soil upon application.

3. Phosphorus Fertilizers

Inorganic phosphorus fertilizers such as rock phosphate stay in the soil years after the first
application.

Rock phosphate works only in acidic soils, as the nutrients do not break down for plants in neutral or
alkaline soils. superphosphate are other forms of phosphorus fertilizer.

These do not affect the pH of the soil upon application, while ammonium phosphates come in water-
soluble, granular forms.
 4. Complete and Balanced Inorganic fertilizers

Inorganic fertilizers come in single-nutrient or multi-nutrient formulas.

Multinutrient formulas include complete and balanced fertilizers, which contain basic nutrients, such
as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, as well as secondary and micronutrients such as calcium,
magnesium, boron and manganese.

The percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium contained in both complete and balanced
fertilizers is indicated by three numbers on the package. For example, a 5-10-5 formula is a complete
fertilizer, containing 5 percent nitrogen, 10 percent phosphorus and 5 percent potassium. Balanced
fertilizers are those that contain equal nutrient amounts, such as a 10-10-10 formula.

5. Slow-Release and Specially Formulated

Other types of inorganic fertilizers include slow-release formulas. These formulas contain larger
molecules that are coated, helping them to break down slowly in the soil.

A typical slow-release fertilizer releases nutrients over a period of 50 days to a year, reducing the
chance of burning the plant or root system. Specially formulated inorganic fertilizers are those that
are created for a specific type of plant.

These special formulas include plant foods for cocoa, azaleas, rhododendron or roses. Specially
formulated fertilizers are usually highly acidic and are used only on the plants for which they are
indicated.
What are the advantages of inorganic fertilizer?

1. You can use Inorganic fertilizer to rescue dying plants immediately, basically because it
releases nutrients easily into the soil and absorbed by the plants.
2. Another one of the inorganic fertilizer advantages is that it is easily available in almost all
agro-input outlets.

What are the disadvantages of inorganic fertilizer?

1. The cost is relatively much higher than organic fertilizers.

2. Besides the essential nutrients available for plants’ use in inorganic fertilizers, they also
contain other compounds and salts. Plants are unable to absorb these compounds and salts,
and so are left in the soil. Over time, these compounds build up in the soil and change the
soil chemistry. This creates soil problems, making it less ideal to work with.
3. Applying too much, at an instance, tends to burn the plant and can even destroy it. You need
to strictly follow the recommended rates.
4. Moreover, leaching occurs easily when you over water or when there is too much rainfall.
5. In cases of heavy rains or overwatering, the nutrients and other compounds wash into nearby
water bodies. They pollute and render them unhealthy for consumption by human or
livestock.
6. Continual application of the fertilizer disturbs the natural biotic environment and affects the
soil structure. Most soil organisms do not survive in areas of consistent application of
inorganic fertilizers.
Liquid and solid fertilizer

Fertilizers are applied to crops both as solids and as liquid. About 90% of fertilizers are applied
as solids. The most widely used solid inorganic fertilizers are urea, diammonium phosphate and
potassium chloride.

Solid fertilizer is typically granulated or powdered. Often solids are available as prills, a solid
globule. Liquid fertilizers comprise anhydrous ammonia, aqueous solutions of ammonia,
aqueous solutions of ammonium nitrate or urea.

These concentrated products may be diluted with water to form a concentrated liquid fertilizer.

Advantages of liquid fertilizer are its more rapid effect and easier coverage. The addition of
fertilizer to irrigation water is called "fertigation".
References

 https://blog.agrihomegh.com/types-inorganic-fertilizers/
 https://blog.agrihomegh.com/inorganic-fertilizer/
 https://www.fertilizer-machine.com/solution/How-Many-Kinds-of-Fertilizers-
You-Kno.html
 https://www.networx.com/article/types-of-fertilizer
 https://www.fertilizer-machine.net/solution_and_market/types-of-fertilizer.html
 https://www.fertilizerseurope.com/fertilizers-in-europe/types-of-fertilizer/
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertilizer