OUR GROUPS OF PRODUCTS
NITROGEN FERTILIZERS
N
NITROGEN FERTILIZERS are made from ammonia (NH3) produced by the Harber-Bosh process. In this energy-intensive process, natural gas (CH4) usually supplies the hydrogen, and the nitrogen (N2) is derived from the air. This ammonia is used as a feedstock for all other nitrogen fertilizers, such as anhydrous ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) and urea (CO(NH2)2).
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PHOSPHATE FERTILIZERS
P
PHOSPHATE FERTILIZERS are obtained by extraction from phosphate rock, which contains two principal phosphorus-containing minerals, fluorapatite Ca5(PO4)3F (CFA) and hydroxyapatite Ca5(PO4)3OH. These minerals are converted into water-soluble phosphate salts by treatment with sulfuric (H2SO4) or phosphoric acids (H3PO4). The large production of sulfuric acid is primarily motivated by this application. In the nitrophosphate process or Odda process (invented in 1927), phosphate rock with up to a 20% phosphorus (P) content is dissolved with nitric acid (HNO3) to produce a mixture of phosphoric acid (H3PO4) and calcium nitrate (Ca(NO3)2). This mixture can be combined with a potassium fertilizer to produce a compound fertilizer with the three macronutrients N, P and K in easily dissolved form.
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POTASSIUM FERTILIZERS
K (KALI)
POTASH is a mixture of potassium minerals used to make potassium (chemical symbol: K) fertilizers. Potash is soluble in water, so the main effort in producing this nutrient from the ore involves some purification steps; e.g., to remove sodium chloride (NaCl) (common salt). Sometimes potash is referred to as K2O, as a matter of convenience to those describing the potassium content. In fact, potash fertilizers are usually potassium chloride, potassium sulfate, potassium carbonate, or potassium nitrate.
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COMPLEX FERTILIZERS
NPK
COMPLEX FERTILIZERS or MULTINUTRIENT FERTILIZERS provide two or more nutrients components (for example N and P).
BINARY (NP, NK, PK) FERTILIZERS Major two-component fertilizers provide both nitrogen and phosphorus to the plants. These are called NP fertilizers. The main NP fertilizers are monoammonium phosphate (MAP) and diammonium phosphate (DAP). The active ingredient in MAP is NH4H2PO4. The active ingredient in DAP is (NH4)2HPO4. About 85% of MAP and DAP fertilizers are soluble in water.
NPK FERTILIZERS are three-component fertilizers providing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
SOLUBLE FERTILIZERS
NPK (FOLIAR)
LIQUID vs SOLID: Fertilizers are applied to crops both as solids and as liquid. About 90% of fertilizers are applied as solids. The most widely used solid inorganic fertilizers are urea, diammonium phosphate and potassium chloride. Solid fertilizer is typically granulated or powdered. Often solids are available as prills, a solid globule. Liquid fertilizers comprise anhydrous ammonia, aqueous solutions of ammonia, aqueous solutions of ammonium nitrate or urea. These concentrated products may be diluted with water to form a concentrated liquid fertilizer (e.g., UAN).
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ORGANIC FERTILIZERS
ORGANIC
ORGANIC FERTILIZERS can describe those fertilizers with an – organic – biologic – origin – that is, fertilizers derived from living or formerly living materials. Organic fertilizers can also describe commercially available and frequently packaged products that strive to follow the expectations and restrictions adopted by «organic agriculture» and «environmentally friendly» gardening related systems of food and plant production that significantly limit or strictly avoid the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. The “organic fertilizer” products typically contain both some organic materials as well as acceptable additives such as nutritive rock powders, ground sea shells (crab, oyster, etc.), other prepared products such as seed meal or kelp, and cultivated microorganisms and derivatives.
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BIO-CONDITIONERS FERTILIZERS
BIO-CONDITIONERS (BIO-COM)
DEFINITION
GENERAL INFORMATION
CHOICE and DOSAGE
The choice of fertilizer type and dosage depends on:
- The intensive and sporadic needs of crops for nutrients that are not easily retained in the soil.
- The nutrients they contain: nitrogen, sulphur, magnesium, calcium and even micronutrients.
- The chemical forms that the nutrients are found in.
- The characteristics of the soil and the climatology.
- Growing practices and, in particular, irrigation systems.
- Harvest expectations.
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TE-MICRONUTRIENTS FERTILIZERS
TRACE–ELEMENTS–MICRONUTRIENTS (TE)
DEFINITION
The main micronutrients are molybdenum, zinc, boron, and copper. These elements are provided as water-soluble salts. Iron presents special problems because it converts to insoluble (bio-unavailable) compounds at moderate soil pH and phosphate concentrations. For this reason, iron is often administered as a chelate complex, e.g., the EDTA derivative. The micronutrient needs depend on the plant and the environment. For example, sugar beets appear to require boron, and legumes require cobalt, while environmental conditions such as heat or drought make boron less available for plants.
GENERAL INFORMATION
CHOICE and DOSAGE
The choice of fertilizer type and dosage depends on:
- The intensive and sporadic needs of crops for nutrients that are not easily retained in the soil.
- The nutrients they contain: nitrogen, sulphur, magnesium, calcium and even micronutrients.
- The chemical forms that the nutrients are found in.
- The characteristics of the soil and the climatology.
- Growing practices and, in particular, irrigation systems.
- Harvest expectations.
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