What Is Fertilizer? What Are the Types of Fertilizers? What Are the Characteristics of Fertilizers?

Fertilizers, substances that contain essential nutrients for the nutrition and growth of plants, can be categorized into two main types: organic and inorganic fertilizers.

What Is Fertilizer?

Fertilizer is a substance, whether in solid or liquid form, that is added to the soil in a form readily available for plants to enhance their growth and yield. The technology of fertilizers, initially employed by ancient farmers, has significantly evolved as the chemical requirements of growing plants have been better understood.

Like all living organisms, plants are composed of cells, within which numerous metabolic chemical reactions responsible for growth and reproduction occur. Since plants do not consume food like animals, they rely on soil nutrients to provide the essential chemicals for these metabolic reactions. Depletion of these compounds, which are present in limited quantities in the soil, over time can lead to a decline in the quality and yield of plants.

Plants require not only nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium as essential elements for growth and nutrition but also other elemental nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, sulfur, manganese, iron, zinc, copper, boron, and others.

Fertilizer is the term used for substances that contain the essential nutrients required for the nutrition and growth of plants, whether in solid or liquid form.

In response to this situation, where the ratio of these nutrients in the soil gradually decreases over time due to the plants extracting them from the soil and water leaching them out, the process of adding these deficient nutrients to the soil from external sources in solid or liquid form is referred to as fertilization. This helps replenish the essential elements in the soil, allowing plants to receive the necessary nutrients for their growth and nutrition.

What Is the Purpose of Fertilizer?

A variety of different chemical elements are required for the growth and development of a plant.

The most important among these are:

Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen (These elements can be obtained from air and water, so plants can readily access them in abundance.) Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium (These are macro-nutrients, primarily found in packaged fertilizers.) Calcium and magnesium (Secondary nutrients) Boron, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc (Micro-nutrients)

Let’s briefly look at the benefits of these elements for plants one by one:

Nitrogen (N) It is crucial for the development of a plant’s leaves, roots, stems, branches, shoots, and fruits. Plants require a significant amount of nitrogen during their growth stages.

Phosphorus (P) It accelerates root growth, influences flowering formation, and enhances grain and fruit formation.

Potassium (K) This element is excellent for the overall health of the plant. It not only increases the plant’s resilience to diseases, pests, cold, and drought but also affects the taste, size, fullness, color, aroma, and shelf life of the fruit.

Calcium (Ca) This element, necessary for flowering and root development, strengthens cell walls, promoting cell growth and elongation.

Magnesium (Mg) As a complement to the plant’s green color, this element carries phosphorus in the plant, ensuring the development of dark green leaves. It allows the plant to capture sunlight and use it in photosynthesis.

Sulfur (S) By assisting in protein formation, sulfur speeds up the growth and maturation of the plant. It is also used to lower the pH level in high-pH soils.

Boron (B) Effective in flower and fruit retention, this element is also essential for seed formation and fertilization. It facilitates the transport and formation of carbohydrates in the plant, as well as the transport, placement, and formation of calcium and hormone production.

Copper (Cu) As a respiration catalyst, copper is effective in photosynthesis and plays a role in chlorophyll and protein formation.

Iron (Fe) Essential for photosynthesis and the conversion of chlorophyll, iron helps the plant take up nitrogen and serves as an enzyme.

Manganese (Mn) Effective in chlorophyll formation, this element assists in chloroplast formation when applied with iron and also acts as an enzyme.

Zinc (Zn) Necessary for chlorophyll formation, zinc aids in the transport of carbohydrates and sugars.

Molybdenum (Mo) This element prevents nitrate accumulation in plants, aids in nitrogen fixation, and contributes to the formation of vitamin C.

The elements that plants need the most are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

Without nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, a plant cannot grow healthily. If any of these essential elements (macronutrients) cannot be obtained in sufficient quantities from the soil, the plant’s growth rate is limited.

To ensure rapid and healthy plant growth, the key is to provide these essential elements in readily available forms, either in solid or liquid form. This is the purpose of fertilization. Many fertilizers supply a plant’s nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium needs. Plants require smaller amounts of other elements and typically find these in the soil. Meeting a plant’s nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium requirements is the primary secret to healthy growth.

What Are the Types of Fertilizers?

Organic Fertilizers Organic fertilizers are categorized into five main types, which include animal manure, humic acid, green manure, compost, and peat. Animal Manure Animal manure is typically derived from the feces and urine of domesticated animals, mixed with straw or bedding materials. It is rich in organic content and serves as an excellent source of nutrients for plants.

Humic Acid

Also known as humus, humic acid is an organic substance obtained through the decomposition of plant or animal waste. It plays a significant role in plant development.

Green Manure

Green manure refers to the practice of growing specific crops for the purpose of benefiting the soil and subsequent crops. These crops are later plowed or tilled into the soil using agricultural machinery to improve its fertility.

Compost

Compost is organic fertilizer obtained from the decomposition and decay of plant and animal waste materials.

Peat

Peat, also known as peat moss, is an organic substance formed over many years through the decay of plants that grow in underwater areas such as lakes and bogs. It is harvested when the plant material sinks to the bottom and undergoes decomposition in the absence of oxygen.

Inorganic Fertilizers

Inorganic fertilizers are divided into six main types, which include nitrogenous fertilizer, phosphatic fertilizer, potassic fertilizer, compound fertilizer, liquid fertilizer, and foliar fertilizer.

Ammonium Sulfate: Known colloquially as “sugar fertilizer” due to its appearance, this fertilizer contains 21% nitrogen and 24% sulfur.

Ammonium Nitrate: The sale of this fertilizer, which contains 33% nitrogen, has been halted due to its explosive properties. Calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN), containing 26% nitrogen, is still sold under controlled conditions.

Urea: This substance contains 46% pure nitrogen, is completely soluble in water, and can be applied to all plants.

Superphosphate: This granular form of fertilizer contains 16-18% water-soluble phosphoric acid.

Triple Superphosphate: It contains 43-46% water-soluble phosphoric acid in its composition.

Potassic Fertilizers

Potassium Sulfate: It contains 48-52% potassium in its composition.

Potassium Nitrate: This fertilizer contains 46% potassium.

Potassium Oxide: It contains 50-60% potassium oxide.

Compound Fertilizers

Compound fertilizers contain varying percentages of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

For example, a type of compound fertilizer known as 15-15-15 contains 15% nitrogen, 15% phosphorus, and 15% potassium.

Diammonium Phosphate: Also known as DAP fertilizer, this type typically contains 18-46-0, which means it contains 18% nitrogen and 46% phosphorus.

Liquid Fertilizers

Liquid fertilizers are fertilizers that allow the essential elements needed by plants to be delivered in liquid form, either to the soil or to the leaves. Liquid fertilizers have a faster interaction in the soil compared to solid fertilizers, making them quite beneficial for plants.

They are divided into two categories based on the macro and micro-nutrients they contain: single liquid fertilizer and compound liquid fertilizer.

Foliar Fertilizers

Foliar fertilizers are fertilizers that contain the necessary substances for plants in solid, liquid, or granular form and are used by diluting or dissolving them and spraying them onto plant leaves.