Fertilizers
INTRODUCTION TO FERTILIZER
Fertilizer is generally defined as "any material, organic or inorganic, natural or synthetic, which supplies one or more of the chemical elements required for the plant growth".
Sixteen elements listed in Table 1.1 are identified as essential elements for plant growth, of which nine are required in macro quantities and seven in micro quantities.Of the elements listed in Table 1.1, carbon, oxygen and hydrogen are supplies by air and water and are, therefore, not treated as nutrients by the fertilizer industry. The main aim of the industry is to provide the primary and secondary nutrients which are required in macro quantities.
No. | Name of element | Nomenclature |
---|---|---|
1. | Carbon | |
2. | Oxygen | |
3. | Hydrogen | |
4. | Nitrogen | |
5. | Phosphorus | Primary nutrients |