FERTILIZERS
Types of fertilizers
By: Sajawal Majeed
SSP17-CE08
Fertilizers
A fertilizer or fertilizer is any material of natural or synthetic origin
that is applied to soils or to plant tissues to supply one or more plant
nutrients essential to the growth of plants.
Many sources of fertilizer exist, both natural and industrially
produced
FERTILITY
• ‘‘The crops produced per unit area is called fertility’’.
• Fertility of soil depends upon:
I. Seeds
II. Soil
III. Environment
Types of Fertilizers:
There are different types of fertilizers based upon:
• Nutrients providing:
I. Single Nutrient fertilizers
II. Mix Nutrient fertilizers
• Compostion:
I. Complete Fertilizers
II. Incomplete Fertilizers
• Origin
I. organic
II. inorganic
• Solubility
I. Soluble
II. Insoluble
• Applying method
I. Granular
II. Slow Release
• Based on use:
I. Direct Fertilizer
II. Indirect fertilizer
Based on nutrients content:
I. Nitrogenous fertilizers
II. Phosphate fertilizers
III. Potash fertilizers
BASED ON NUTRIENTS PROVIDING
Single nutrient fertilizer Mix Nutrient fertilizer
• Single fertilizers contain only one • Mix fertilizers contain more than one
major nutrient. major nutrient.
• i.e N , P, K • i.e binary(NP,PK,NK) or NPK
• Examples: • Examples
I. Urea contains only nitrogen@46%
I. Di-ammonium phosphate contains
II. Single super phosphate (SSP) nitrogen@18% and phosphate
contains only phosphorus @16% @46%
BASED ON COMPOSTION
Complete fertilizer Incomple fertilizer
• Complete fertilizers have all three • Incomplete fertilizers DOES NOT
major nutrients i.e nitrogen have all three major nutrients
phosphorus and potosh(NPK) • Examples:
• Examples: • 20-0-0
I. 10-10-10 • 5-10-0
II. 15-5-20 • 0-5-15
BASED UPON ORIGIN
Organic fertilizers Inorganic fertilizers
• Mostly Obtained from animal • Either mined from mineral deposits
matter , animal excreta, human or manufactured from synthetic
excreta and vegetable matter. compounds.
• Also known as natural fertilizers • Also knowns as synthetic fertilizers
• Can also be prepared commercially
e.g. ammonia , urea etc.
Organic fertilizers
Advantages Disadvantages
• Slow release of nutrients • Hard to get
• Not easily leached from the soil. • Not sterile
• Add organic components to the • Low nutrient content
media to be grown. • Expensive
Inorganic fertilizers
Advantages: Disadvantages:
• Can make the desired ratio of • No organic material
nutrients. • Possible chemical building up in the
• Easy to get. growing media.
• Low cost
BASED UPON SOLUBILITY
Soluble Fertilizers Insouble Fertilizers
• Dissolve in water and are applied as • Includes granular and slow release
a liquid solution applied to the growing media.
• Fertigation
• fertilizing through irrigation water
• big advantage
BASED UPON APPLYING METHOD
Granular Fertilizers Slow release fertilizers
• Granular • Slow Release
• relatively inexpensive • more expensive because it is coated
• easy to find • more uniform release of nutrients
over time period
BASED ON USE
Direct Fertilizers Indirect Fertilizers
• Those fertilizers that make • Those fertilizers that improve the
conditions/environment for better
part of the food of the growth, involving :
plants. I. Salinity removal
II. Water logging removal
III. Etc.
BASED ON NUTRIENTS
CONTENT
• Nitrogenous
• Phosphate
• potashium
Nitrogenous fertilizers:
• Nitrogen fertilizers are made from ammonia (NH3), which is
sometimes injected into the ground directly.
• This ammonia is used as a feedstock for all other nitrogen
fertilizers, such as:
• anhydrous ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3)
• urea (CO(NH2)2).
Phosphate fertilizers
• All phosphate fertilizers are obtained by extraction from minerals
containing the anion PO43−
• The most popular phosphate-containing minerals are referred to
collectively as phosphate rock.
• Examples:
• Single Super Phosphate
• Triple Super phosphate
Potashium Fertilizers
• Potash is a mixture of potassium minerals used to make potassium
(chemical symbol: K) fertilizers.
• Sometimes potash is referred to as K2O, as a matter of convenience to
those describing the potassium content.
• potash fertilizers are usually
• potassium chloride
• potassium sulfate
• potassium carbonate
• potassium nitrate
Fertilizer Analysis
• Fertilizer analysis expresses weight as a percent of nitrogen, phosphorus and
potassium.
20-10-20
N- P- K
• For Example:
A 100 kg bag of fertilizer has an analysis of 15-5-15. How many pounds of
nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are in the bag?
Nitrogen: 100 X 15%=15 Kg
Phosphorus: 100 X 5%=15 Kg
Potassium: 100 X 15%=15
