Fertilizer

What is a fertilizer?
 Fertilizer
Objectives: Students will be able to...

▸ Explain what a fertilizer is.

▸ Identify different types of fertilizer.
▸ List examples of fertilizer carriers.
▸ Determine proper situations for fertilizer
applications.
▸ Define rule of thumb for fertilizer application.
▸ Differentiate between different fertilizers.
▸ Describe a mixed fertilizer.
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Definition

▸Any material applied to a soil or plant

to supply essential elements
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What are some different types of fertilizer?

▸Mineral
▸Organic
▸Inorganic
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Description of a Mineral

▸Simply ground rocks containing

nutrients
▸Example: Dolomitic lime provides
calcium and magnesium
▸Usefulness is limited as they dissolve
very slowly
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Description of organic

–Crop Rotation
–Animal Manures
–Sewage Sludge
–Septage
▸Compost
–Municipal, food processing and industrial
organic residues; usually dumped in landfills
and ocean; much potential for composting
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Description of organic

–Crop Rotation
–Animal Manures
–Sewage Sludge
–Septage
–Compost
▸Peat
–Partly decayed vegetable matter
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Description of Inorganic

▸Chemical fertilizers
▸Made by industry
▸Some are mined, others completely
manufactured
▸High nutrient content, therefore less
expensive
 Fertilizer Materials

▸Few fertilizers are in pure form

▸Rather fertilizers are made up of
nutrient carriers
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Nitrogen Carriers

▸ Anhydrous Ammonia- 82%

▸ Urea- 45%
▸ Nitrate Solution- 28%
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Nitrogen Carriers- Other Examples

▸Ammonium Sulfate
▸Nitrate of Soda
▸Ammonium Phosphorus
▸Calcium Cynamid
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It depends on the following:

▸What crop
▸Soil Conditions
▸Planting date
▸Crop Rotation
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Rule of thumb

Usually somewhere between 100-200

pounds per acre.

Bushels per acre = 1.2 pounds per

bushel
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When is Nitrogen applied?

▸ It depends: Fall or Spring

–Fall: more leaching but less expensive. More
likely to be able to get into the field
–Spring: more expensive, side-dressing, less
leaching
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Common Phosphorus Fertilizers

▸ Di-Ammonium Phosphate
–18-46-0
▸ Superphosphate (16-20%)
▸ MonoAmmonium Phosphate
–12-52-0
▸ Bone Meal - made from grinding bones
▸ Manure
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Potassium Carriers

▸Muriate of potash-60% potash,

accounts for 97% of all potassium
fertilizers
▸Costs less and dissolves easily in
water
▸Nitrate of potash -44% potash and
13% Nitrogen, common for container
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Mixed fertilizers

▸Fertilizers containing more than one

element
 Mixed fertlizers
How does a producer determine what mix to use?

▸Analysis
▸Grade
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Analysis
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Analysis-Definition

Lists the elements in the bag and their

percent content
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Analysis

▸N-P-K 10-3-3
▸Not in pure form
▸Examples
–Phosphoric acid P2O5
–Soluble potash K2O
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Grade
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Grade-Definition

▸Indicates the primary nutrients in the

bag
▸Lists the contents in the order of the
percentages of the primary nutrients
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What’s on the bag?
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What’s on the bag?

▸Contents
▸Ratios
▸Grade
▸Analysis
▸Method of application
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Single-grade

Contains only one element

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Mixed

Contains 2 or 3 elements
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Complete

▸Contains all 3 primary nutrients

The End