1|Clas s ification and Identif ication of Fe rtilizers
Classification and Identification of Fertilizers
Dr. Jagadish Jena Assistant Professor, Department of Agronomy, IAS, SOADU Aim of the Experiment To study about the classification and identification of different fertilizers. Introduction For the synthesis of different biomolecules and physiological processes, plant needs various nutrients. Only seventeen nutrients are assigned as essential nutrients i.e., C, H, O, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, B, Mo, Cl and Ni as they follow the essentiality laws proposed by Arnon and Stout. According to essentiality laws, if due to any nutrient deficiency plant cannot completes its vegetative and reproductive life cycle, the nutrient deficiency can only be fulfilled by supplying that particular nutrient and that nutrient has direct involvement in the metabolic activity of the plant, that nutrient is called essential nutrient. From these seventeen essential nutrients, three nutrients i.e., C, H and O are non- mineral nutrients as they are being supplied from water and air, and rest fourteen nutrients are called essential mineral nutrients. Loomis and Shull classified these essential nutrients into micro- and macro- nutrients based on their presence and requirement in plant tissue. Micro nutrients are present inside plant tissue at a very low concentration (less than 100 mg/kg) and their requirement is very less i.e., Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, B, Mo, Cl and Ni. Macro nutrients are present inside plant tissue at comparatively higher concentration (more than 1000 mg/kg) and their requirement is very high i.e., C, H, O, N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S. Among the macro-nutrients, C, H and O are called basic or structural nutrients as they constitute 95-96% of plant dry matter. N, P and K are regarded as primary macro-nutrients and Ca, Mg, S are called secondary macro-nutrients. Points to be noted here that even though we are classifying the essential nutrients as per nutrient concentration in plant tissue into micro- and macro- nutrients, all the nutrients have equal importance with respect to plant growth and development. Plant uptake mineral nutrients from soil solution through root system either by mass flow or diffusion or root interception and these nutrients are translocated to different parts by vascular tissue xylem. Whenever, plant uptake nutrients from soil solution, that depletion of nutrient must be fulfilled either by nutrient dynamics or nutrient cycles inside the soil or by artificial application of fertilizers and manures. Fertilizers and their classification Fertilizers are any organic or inorganic material (mostly synthetic) added to soil directly or through irrigation water (fertigation) to replenish the depleted soil nutrient or to fulfil the nutrient demand of crops. The nutrient content in any fertilizer is represented in % N - % P2O5 - % K2O - % S form which is also called as fertilizer grade which represents minimum guaranteed percentage nutrient content in a
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fertilizer. For example, the fertilizer grade of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) is 18-46-0, which means hundred kg of DAP contains 18 kg N, 46 kg P2O5 and 0 kg of K2O. i. Complete and incomplete fertilizer a. Complete fertilizers: Fertilizer having all three primary nutrients. b. Incomplete fertilizers: Fertilizer doesn’t have all three primary nutrients. ii. Granular, powdered and liquid fertilizer a. Granular: Fertilizer having larger particle size, ex: DAP, SSP b. Powdered: Amorphous structure, finer particle size, ex: powdered SSP, rock phosphate c. Liquid: Present in liquid form and are concentrated, usually mixed with water before use, ex: anhydrous ammonia, aqua ammonia iii. Straight, complex and mixed fertilizer a. Straight: Fertilizers which supply only one primary nutrient (N or P or K). Ex.: Urea, SSP, MOP, etc. b. Complex fertilizer: Fertilizers containing more than one primary nutrient in chemically combined form. Ex.: Nitro phosphate, Diammonium phosphate (DAP), etc. These fertilizers are usually produced in granular form. c. Mixed fertilizers: Fertilizers which are the physical mixture of straight fertilizers or straight and complex fertilizers. They are made by thorough mixing of fertilizers mechanically or manually and contains more than one primary plant nutrient. iv. Low and high analysis fertilizers a. Low analysis fertilizers: Fertilizers containing less than 25% primary nutrients. Ex.: Sodium nitrate, SSP, etc. b. High analysis fertilizers: Total content of primary nutrients in these fertilizers are above 25%. Ex.: Urea, DAP, etc. v. Acid forming, base forming and neutral fertilizers a. Acid forming fertilizers: Fertilizers which leave an acid residue in the soil. These fertilizers are recommended to apply in alkaline soils. Ex.: Ammonium chloride, ammonium sulphate, ammonium phosphate, urea, etc. b. Base forming fertilizers: Fertilizer which leave an alkaline residue in the soil and are mostly recommended for application in acidic soils. Ex.: Sodium nitrate, calcium nitrate, calcium cyanide, dicalcium phosphate, etc. c. Neutral fertilizers: These fertilizers on applying to soil don’t leave any acidic or alkaline residue. Ex.: Calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN). vi. Nitrogenous, phosphatic, potassic and micronutrient fertilizers
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a. Nitrogenous fertilizers: Fertilizer that is primarily supplying nitrogen to crops. These
fertilizers are again grouped into nitrate fertilizers, ammoniacal fertilizers, amide fertilizers and combined form or nitrate and ammoniacal nitrogen. i. Nitrate fertilizers: They are highly hygroscopic and highly mobile in soil, subjected to leaching and denitrification losses. Increase the alkalinity of soil as basic in nature. Ex.: Sodium nitrate, calcium nitrate, etc. ii. Ammoniacal fertilizers: Comparatively lesser prone to leaching loss than nitrate fertilizers, reduce soil alkalinity and well suited to submerged soils. Ex.: Ammonium sulphate, ammonium chloride, anhydrous ammonia, etc. iii. Nitrate and ammoniacal fertilizers: Contain both nitrate and ammoniacal forms of nitrogen and readily soluble in water. Ex.: Ammonium nitrate and calcium ammonium nitrate. iv. Amide fertilizers: Nitrogen in these fertilizers present in amide form which needed to be converted to nitrate and ammoniacal form before plant can avail them for uptake. These are mostly organic fertilizers. Ex.: Urea and calcium cyanide. b. Phosphatic fertilizers: Phosphorous content in phosphatic fertilizers is expressed in oxidized form (% P2O5), in soil and plant it is expressed in elemental form (% P). To convert elemental phosphorous to oxidized phosphorous and vis-à-vis, following linear formulae can be used; % 𝑃 × 2.29 = % 𝑃2 𝑂5 % 𝑃2 𝑂5 × 0.43 = % 𝑃 According to the solubility of phosphoric acid present in phosphatic fertilizers in water and citric acid, phosphatic fertilizers are grouped into water soluble phosphatic fertilizers, citric acid soluble phosphatic fertilizers, and water and citric acid insoluble phosphatic fertilizers. i. Water soluble phosphatic fertilizers: Mostly suitable for neutral and alkaline soils in short duration crops i.e., cereals and pulses. They form insoluble iron and aluminum phosphate in acidic soil and in saline soil forms insoluble calcium and magnesium phosphate. Ex.: Single super phosphate (SSP), double super phosphate (DSP), triple super phosphate (TSP), mono ammonium phosphate (MAP) and di-ammonium phosphate (DAP). ii. Citric acid soluble phosphatic fertilizers: These fertilizers are basic in reaction and suitable for acidic soils for comparatively longer duration crops i.e.,
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sugarcane, tea, coffee, low land rice, etc. Ex.: Di-calcium phosphate (DCP) and basic slag. iii. Water and citric acid insoluble phosphatic fertilizers: These fertilizers are suitable for strongly acidic and organic soils and suitable for long duration, plantation crops like tea, coffee, rubber, cocoa and coconut. c. Potassic fertilizers: Potassium content in potassic fertilizers expressed in oxidized form (% K2O), in soil and plant it is expressed in elemental form (% K). To convert elemental potassium to oxidized potassium and vis-à-vis, following linear formulae can be used; % 𝐾 × 1.2 = % 𝐾2 𝑂 % 𝐾2 𝑂 × 0.83 = % 𝐾 Based on presence or absence of chloride in potassic fertilizers, they are classified into chloride form and non-chloride form. i. Chloride form: These fertilizers are suitable for acidic and heavy soil, but not suitable for alkaline soils. Presence of chloride in the fertilizer makes it unsuitable for sugar or starchy crops i.e., potato, tobacco, sugarcane, etc. as they affect sugar translocation. Ex.: Muriate of potash or MOP. ii. Non-chloride form: Used in fruit trees and starchy crops i.e., potato, tobacco, sugarcane, etc. Identification and characterization of important fertilizers a. Urea • Empirical formulae: CH4N2O or NH2CONH2 • Appearance: Powdered or white crystalline solid • Melting point: 133-135 °C • Water solubility: 1.1 kg/L • Molecular weight: 60.056 • Contains 46% N b. Ammonium sulphate • Empirical formulae: H8N2O4S or (NH4)2SO4 • White, odorless, orthorhombic crystal granule • Melting point: 280 °C • Solubility: Freely soluble in water, 0.764 kg/L • Molecular weight: 132.14 • Contains 20.6% N
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c. Single super phosphate (SSP)
• Empirical formulae: Ca (H2PO4)2.2H2O • Grey to brownish colored, granulated structure • Slightly hygroscopic and 100% water solubility • Molecular weight: 236.07 • Contains 16% P2O5, 10-12% S and 19-22% Ca d. Di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) • Empirical formulae: (NH4)2(HPO4) • Colorless, monoclinic crystal • Fertilizer is brown to black, granular • Molecular weight: 132.06 • Water solubility: 95% soluble, 0.589 kg/L (20 °C) • Contains 16-18% N and 46-48% P2O5 e. Muriate of potash (MOP) • Empirical formulae: KCl • White, odorless, crystalline solid • Fertilizer is red or pink colored due to iron impurity • Water soluble (0.344 kg/L) and granular structure • Molecular weight: 74.55 • Contains 60-63% K2O, 45-47% Cl- f. Potassium sulphate or sulphate of Potash • Empirical formulae: K2SO4 • White, crystalline, odorless solid • Water solubility: 120g/L (25 °C) • Molecular weight: 174.26 • Contains 48-53% K2O and 17-18% S g. Ammonium phosphate sulphate (complex fertilizer) • Grade: 20-20-0-13 • Manufactured by Coromandel ltd., IFFCO • Least hygroscopic and highly water soluble • Granular • Contains 20% N, 20% P2O5, 13% S
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*Essential nutrients and plant nutrition CLICK HERE
**Lecture on Fertilizer CLICK HERE ***Soil fertility and estimation of available nutrients CLICK HERE ****Calculation of fertilizer dose CLICK HERE
