Inorganic fertilizers, also known as artificial, synthetic, or chemical fertilizers, are manufactured from minerals such as petroleum or minerals mined from the earth. They are specifically formulated to provide essential nutrients to plants. Inorganic fertilizers play a crucial role in the agriculture industry.
Inorganic
fertilizers are of two major types:
1. Simple or straight
2. Compound Complex or Mixed
1. Simple or straight
2. Compound Complex or Mixed
Simple or Straight Fertilizers
Simple or straight fertilizers are produced to supply only one of the major
nutrient elements to plants, Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) or Potassium (K).
A fertilizer containing nitrogen is referred to as a Nitrogen or Nitrogenous Fertilizer, one containing phosphorus is referred to as a Phosphorus or Phosphatic Fertilizer, and one containing potassium is referred to as a Potassium or Potassic Fertilizer.
Nitrogen or Nitrogenous Fertilizers
Types of nitrogenous fertilizers include:
Urea: Urea is a highly concentrated nitrogen fertilizer. Before being absorbed by plant roots, urea is first converted to ammonium.
Ammonium Nitrate: This fertilizer contains both nitrogen and ammonium. Ammonium is an inorganic form of nitrogen found in soils along with nitrate. Plants can directly absorb ammonium as a nutrient source for growth and development.
Ammonium Sulphate: This fertilizer provides both nitrogen and sulfur. It is highly soluble and is quickly absorbed by plant roots.
Phosphorus or Phosphatic Fertilizers
Types of phosphatic fertilizers include:
Superphosphate: This fertilizer contains phosphorus and is commonly used to promote plant root development and flowering.
Triple Superphosphate: This fertilizer has a higher concentration of phosphorus. It can be used for plants showing signs of phosphorus deficiencies. It helps to ensure plants get an ample supply of this nutrient from deficient soils and soil-less growing media.
Potassium or Potassic Fertilizers
There are two main types of potassic fertilizers:
Potassium chloride, also known as muriate of potash. It helps plants develop strong roots, build disease resistance, and is essential for overall plant health.
Potassium sulfate, which provides potassium and sulfur. It has low chloride levels and is better suited for chloride-sensitive crops.
Compound, Complex or Mixed
Compound fertilizers, also known as complex or mixed fertilizers, typically contain a combination of the three main nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) and are often referred to as NPK fertilizers. These fertilizers come in different formulations, and the labels used by manufacturers indicate the percentage of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), along with the ratio of these three elements. For example, a 20:20:20 fertilizer contains 20% N, 20% P, and 20% K, while a 20:10:10 fertilizer contains 20% N, 10% P, and 10% K.
In a 20:10:10 ratio mixed fertilizer, 40% of the content consists of plant nutrients, leaving the other 60% to be comprised of carrier material and filler. The carrier material is used to aid in the distribution of the fertilizer, while the filler is employed to prevent the mixture from becoming overly compacted.
