Fertilizers
Fertilizers- Fertilizers are the organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic
origin which are added to the soil to supply certain element essential to the
growth of plant.
• Amendments- Amendments are the substances other than manures and fertilizers
which are added to soils for the improvement of their condition.
Fertilizers also classified on the basis of major nutrient content
1. Nitrogenous fertilizer 2. Phosphatic fertilizer 3. Potassic fertilizer
Nitrogenous fertilizers classification
on the basis of chemical form in which nitrogen is combined with other elements within a fertilizer
a. Nitrate fertilizer eg.calcium nitrate
b. Ammonium fertilizer eg. ammonium sulphate
c. Nitrate and ammonium fertilizer eg.calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN)
d. Amide fertilizer eg. Urea
Classification of phosphatic fertilizers:
Depending on the form in which orthophosphoric acid or phosphoric acid is combined with calcium.
a. water soluble / monocalcium phosphate Ca(H2PO4)2 eg.SSP , DAP, MAP
b. Citric acid soluble / Dicalcium phosphate Ca 2(H2PO4)2 eg. Di calcium phosphate,
c. Citrate and water insoluble / Tricalcium phosphate Ca 3(PO4)2 Eg. Rock phosphate
Classifications of Potassic fertilizers-
d. Fertilizers having K in the chloride form. (KCl-Muriate of potash)
Classification of fertilizer:
a) Straight fertilizer: Straight fertilizers are those which supply only one primary plant nutrient,
namely nitrogen or phosphorus or potassium.
e.g. Urea, ammonium sulphate, potassium chloride and potassium sulphate.
• b) Complex fertilizer: Complex fertilizers contain two or three primary plant nutrients of which
two primary nutrients are in chemical combination. These fertilizers are usually produced in
granular form.
eg. Diammonium phosphate (DAP 18%N 46%P2O5), nitro-phosphates and ammonium phosphate.
c) Mixed fertilizers: These are physical mixtures of straight fertilizers.
• They contain two or three primary plant nutrients. Mixed fertilizers are made by thoroughly
mixing the ingredients either mechanically or manually.
d) Complete fertilizer: Fertilizer having all the three primary major nutrients.
e) Incomplete fertilizer: Fertilizer contains any two primary nutrients.
f) Low analysis fertilizers: Fertilizer containing less than 25% of the primary
nutrients
e.g. SSP (16% P₂O,).
g) High analysis fertilizer: Contains more than 25% of the total primary nutrient
content.
• e.g. Urea (46% N), anhydrous ammonia (82.2% Ν).
Nitrogenous fertilizers
• Nitrogenous fertilizers classified into four groups on the basis of chemical form in
which nitrogen is combined with other elements within a fertilizer
• ➢Nitrate fertilizer
• ➢Ammonium fertilizer
• ➢Nitrate and ammonium fertilizer
• ➢Amide fertilizer
• Nitrate fertilizers: Fertilizer containing nitrogen in the form of nitrate(NO3) are called
nitrate fertilizers.
• e.g. Sodium nitrate (NaNO3) – 16% N
• Calcium nitrate Ca(NO3)2– 15.5% N
• Ammoniacal fertilizers: Fertilizer containing nitrogen in the form of ammonium (NH4)
are called ammoniacal fertilizers.
• e.g. Ammonium sulphate: (NH4)2SO4– 20% N most suitable for groundnut,paddy,tea.
• Ammonium chloride: NH4Cl – 24 to 26% N suitable for paddy and not recommended
for tomato, tobacco.
• Anhydrous ammonia: 82% N
• Ammonia solution: 20 -25% N
• Nitrate and Ammonium fertilizers: Fertilizers contains nitrogen in the both form, nitrate
and ammonium .
e.g. Ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) – 33 to 35% N
Highly hygroscopic nature
Explosive fertilizer.
E.g. Calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) – 26% N , 8 % Ca
• Known as Kisan Khad.
• Neutral in nature
E.g. .Ammonium sulphate nitrate – 26% N
• Amide fertilizers: Fertilizers contain nitrogen in amide form.
• These fertilizers are also known as organic fertilizers since they contain carbon atoms.
• e.g. Urea CO(NH2)2 – 46% N Granular/pellet
• Calcium cyanamide (CaCN2) – 21% N
General characteristics of the N fertilizers:
• Nitrate fertilizers - Obtained both as natural product from salt deposits and as
manufactured products from synthetic ammonia
I. They are quickly dissociated in soil solution, releasing nitrate ions.
II. Nitrate fertilizers are very often used as a top or side dressings.
III. Even by broadcasting the fertilizer on the surface of soil, the nitrogen reaches
the root zone quickly.
IV. On the other hand increase the loss by leaching.
V. Most suitable for dry regions.
VI. Basic in their residual effect on the soil.
VII. Significant role in reducing soil acidity .
• Ammonium fertilizers:
• Obtained either as a by product from coal industries or from synthetic ammonia
plants, where it is produced by combining H and N taken from the air.
• • Readily soluble in water.
•• They are slowly utilized by the growing plants than nitrate. Paddy is an exception
and prefer the ammonium form of N in the early stage.
• • Resistant to loss by leaching as ammonium ion is readily adsorbed on the
colloidal complex of the soil.
•• Acidic in their residual effect on the soil.
• Nitrate and ammonium fertilizers :
• Nitrogen present in both ammoniacal and nitrate form.
• Readily soluble in water and suitable to use under a wide variety of soils and
cropping conditions
• The nitrate N readily available to plants for rapid growth and ammonium N is
available at a later stage of crop.
• Acidic in their residual effect on the soil.
• Leaching losses are less
• Used as top dressing and basal application .
• Amide fertilizers :
•• These materials are carbon compound and technically classified as organic
compounds. E.g. urea .
•• Readily soluble in water.
•• Easily decomposed by microorganisms
•• They are quickly changed into ammoniacal N then to nitrate form .
• • Leaching loss is very less because, once amide is converted into into
ammoniacal form it adsorbed on soil colloids and slowly released as nitrate .
•• Urea is less acidic compared to ammonium sulphate.
Hygroscopic fertilizer-
Capacity of fertilizer to absorb moisture from atmosphere.
Hygroscopic fertilizer should not be mixed because they form cake after mixing.
All these fertilizers have NH4+.
• Order of hygroscopic nature of fertilizers
1. Ammonium nitrate – most hygroscopic
2. Urea
3. Ammonium sulphate
4. Ammonium sulphate nitrate
5. Calcium ammonium nitrate
Basic residual in nature- NO3-
Neutral –CAN
Acidic – NH4+
