Fertilizers

Fertilizers are chemicals substances that farmers use daily to improve the growth and productivity of crops. Fertilizers provide beneficial nutrients that plants need to grow. Furthermore, families may also use them for flowers and plants to help them grow in a garden. Many fertilizers examples are suitable to be used on a large farm. Such farms may involve thousands of acres of crops.

The development of a large range of fertilizers examples has taken place to assist the growth of different crops. Consequently, these crops can grow under different weather conditions and under different types of soil. Chemical ingredients present in fertilizer are a cost-effective way to promote plant growth. Also, there is a strict regulation of fertilizer by both federal governments and state governments. This ensures the safety of the environments as well as of the people who use them.

Fertilizers Definition

Fertilizers refer to chemical substances whose application takes place to the crops to boost their productivity. Furthermore, farmers use them on a daily basis to enhance crop yield.

The composition of fertilizers involves the necessary nutrients needed by the plants. Moreover, such essential nutrients are phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen. Consequently,  an enhancement takes place in the water retention capacity of the soil, which in turn, increases fertility.

The composition of fertilizers makes them suitable food for plants.  Furthermore, various chemical fertilizers examples provide beneficial nutrients that plants need to grow.

In addition to carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, which they get from the atmosphere and water, plants need 14 essential nutrients for their growth and health, which fertilizer provides.

Most chemical fertilizers examples consist of 14 essential nutrients to assist plant growth. Most noteworthy, these nutrients are nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), nitrogen (N), zinc (Zn), phosphorus (P), molybdenum (Mo), potassium (K), chlorine (Cl), sulphur (S), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), and boron (B).

Types of Fertilizers

There are six different fertilizers examples. These types are mentioned below:

Inorganic Fertilizers

Inorganic fertilizers are one of the chemical fertilizers examples that involve various essential nutrient elements.  Furthermore, they are made not by natural means but rather by chemical means. Moreover, these examples assist in the growth of crops. The inorganic fertilizers are of the following two types:

Nitrogen Fertilizer- It contains nitrogen that crops require for their development. Furthermore, chlorophyll’s main constituent is Nitrogen that maintains a balance in photosynthesis. Moreover, they are also a part of amino acids that constitutes protein.

Phosphorus Fertilizer- The main nutrient in it is phosphorus. Furthermore, Phosphorus plays a key role in the growth and development of the plant cell. Moreover, this type of fertilizer is beneficial for the growth of roots.

Organic Fertilizers

Organic fertilizers are the second main type. Furthermore, experts obtain this type of fertilizer from living beings. Here, the composition of fertilizers is such that soil enrichment takes place.

The soil enrichment takes place due to the carbonic compounds that play an important role in the growth of plants. The increase of the organic matter content of the soil takes place with the organic type. Moreover, this type of fertilizer also facilitates the reproduction of microorganisms and improves soil characteristics.

On can obtain organic fertilizer from the following products:

• Municipal Sludge
• Agricultural Waste
• Livestock Manure
• Industrial Waste

Advantages of Fertilizers

Below is a description of the advantages of a fertilizer:

• A fertilizer facilitates easy storage, transportation, and application.
• For supplying a particular nutrient, one can choose a particular fertilizer because of its nutrient particular nature.
• It is of a water-soluble nature that can dissolve in the soil in an easy manner. Consequently, this facilitates plant absorption.
• Their effect on the crops and plants is rapid.
• They enhance the crop yield
• Fertilizers facilitate sufficient food production that helps in feeding a large population.
• They are safe, reliable, and are of a predictable nature.

Disadvantages of Fertilizers

Fertilizers involve the following disadvantages:

• They are expensive due to which many farmers cannot afford them.
• The ingredients in the fertilizers sometimes can be toxic to the respiratory system and to the skin.
• Excessive use of fertilizer harms the plants and diminishes the fertility of the soil.
• Leaching can occur due to fertilizer
• Fertilizers can make their way to the river thereby causes eutrophication.
• Long term use of these substances over time can diminish microbial activity.
• The pH of the soil can be disturbed by these substances.

Uses of Fertilizers

The use of fertilizers can take place for various purposes. Furthermore, such uses are mentioned below:

• Their use takes place to provide much-needed nutrients to the plants.
• Their addition takes place for the improvement of the yield of the crops.
• Nitrogen-rich fertilizer is used by people for the greening of lawns.
• The improvement of the fertility and texture of the soil can take place by using organic fertilizer.
• The use of these substances takes place by gardeners to fulfil the nutritional need of plants.
• The addition of these substances takes place in potted plants that replace the lost nutrients.

The population of the world continued to increase which puts significant pressure on the food resources. Furthermore, it is a huge challenge for governments to feed the growing demands of such populations.

In such a case, agricultural production decline is highly undesirable. This happens due to a lack of nutrients, pests, and soil fertility loss. Consequently, this points to the immense importance of fertilizer in agriculture.

A fertilizer can benefit the plants in the following ways:

• The tolerance of plants towards pests enhances due to fertilizer, thereby causing healthier crops. Due to this, there has been a reduction of reliance of plants on harmful insecticides and herbicides, thereby, producing healthier crops. Consequently, diseases have reduced.
• The water holding capacity of a plant can improve due to fertilizer.
• The potassium content is present in these chemical substances.  Furthermore, the strength of the stalks and straws of the plants increases due to these chemical substances.
• The fast development of roots becomes possible by the phosphorus content of these chemical substances.
• This substance facilitates the fast formation of seeds in the plants.
• An enhancement of the growth of the plants takes place by the fertilizer.

FAQs on Fertilizers

Question 1: What is meant by NPK in a fertilizer?

Answer 1: The value of the three macro-nutrients that the plants use is shown by way of the three numbers on fertilizer. Furthermore, these are the three macro-nutrients, which are as follows:

•  Nitrogen (N)
•  Phosphorus (P)
• Potassium (K)

For short-form, use of NPK takes place.
Question 2: Is urea a form of fertilizer?

Answer 2: Urea is a type of nitrogenous fertilizer that one purchase from the market. Furthermore, this particular fertilizer has the highest Nitrogen content, which is approximately 46 percent.

The main function of urea is to provide the plants with nitrogen. This way, green leafy growth takes place. The aiding of the photosynthesis process also takes place by urea.

Question 3: Which fertilizer makes leaves grow faster?

Answer 3: The Nitrates (the leaf makers) fertilizer is the one that makes laves grow faster. That is why this fertilizer is also known as the leaf maker. Furthermore, these types of fertilizers have high nitrogen content.