If you are looking for ways to increase crop yield, the value of chemical fertilizers cannot be highlighted. Plants get the nutrients they need from manure, which enables them to grow immediately. You don’t have to wait for things to get better. Proper application of chemical fertilizers is one of the cost-effective means of increasing plant production.
So today we’ll discuss some information about this chemical fertilizer through this post. After reading the post, you will know all the advantages and disadvantages of chemical fertilizers. Even here we’ve given some examples of chemical fertilizers.
What Is Chemical Fertilizer?
Chemical fertilizer includes a wide range of synthetic compounds that were specifically made to boost crop yields. For instance, some chemical fertilizers contain nitrogen whereas others are phosphate-based. Potassium fertilizers are additional.
A variety of ammonium phosphate, nitro phosphate, potassium, and other nutrients is frequently found in complex or blended fertilizers. It’s vital to remember as you learn about the value of fertilizers that the climate and the type of yield you are growing will determine which chemical fertilizer is best for you.
Why Are Fertilizers Used?
Fertilizers stimulate plant growth and maximize agricultural yield. Chemical fertilizers should be used properly to boost output and make otherwise unproductive land usable. The benefits of fertilizers scale with the size of your growing enterprise, as you might expect.
A substance with a natural or synthetic chemical foundation that contains one or more nutrients necessary for enhancing plant development and soil fertility is also called a fertilizer.
However, NPK fertilizers—which are high in nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium—make up the majority of the employed chemical fertilizers. Secondary nutrients like calcium, magnesium, and sulfur can also be added via fertilizers to the soil or growing medium.
Nitrogenous Fertilizers:
Organic materials that contain nitrogen called nitrogenous fertilizers give plants the sustenance of nitrogen. There are four of them.
- Fertilizers with nitrate:
- fertilizers with ammonium:
- Ammonium and nitrate fertilizers:
- fertilisers with amides:
Phosphatic Fertilizers:
Phosphatic fertilizers are organic materials that contain phosphorus and give plants the nutrient phosphorus.
- Dihydrogen phosphate of calcium
- Nitrous phosphate
- Hydrogen phosphate of ammonium
Potassium Fertilizers:
The potassium-containing organic materials known as potassium fertilizers are what provide plants their potassium nourishment.
- chloride of potassium
- Sulfate of potassium
- nitrate of potassium
Chemical Fertilizers Examples:
Some important chemical fertilizers include ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate, urea, ammonium chloride, and others.
Ammonium Sulfate:
This nitrogen fertilizer aids in boosting the output of crops like potatoes, rice, and others that are comparable. This fertilizer has an ammonia content of around 25%, which the denitrifying microorganisms in the alkaline soil convert to nitrate. Nitrates can easily be absorbed from the soil by plants since they are water-soluble.
Calcium Ammonium Nitrate:
Nitrogen is present in this fertilizer, which plants can quickly absorb. The fact that this fertilizer is immediately absorbed by the water means that there is no worry about it producing pollution.
Super Phosphate Of Lime:
Gypsum and calcium dehydrogenate phosphate are both evenly included in this combination. Calcium dehydrogenate phosphate is the sensible element of this fertilizer, which is explainable in water.
Urea:
Urea is the most significant nitrogenous fertilizer due to its high N content. It helps satisfy some of the protein needs of animals in addition to its application in crops. Urea serves as a supplement to cattle feed. It is also widely utilized in industry, particularly in the production of plastics. Because urea quickly hydrolyzes ammonium carbonate, significant amounts of ammonia may be lost through volatilization if it is sprayed on bare soil surfaces.
The fast breakdown of urea in soils can potentially harm seedlings if considerable amounts are placed alongside or too close to the seed. It is therefore applied when seeds are planted in the ground, but the fertilizer is never in contact with the seeds. Water is provided three to four days after urea has been applied to the soil.
Calcium Nitrate:
Norwegian Salpeter is the brand name used to promote or sell this nitrogenous fertilizer. It is also known as a “double salt” because it comprises two substances that are typically present in high-sodium fertilizers.
Calcium Cyanamid:
Chemical fertilizer made of calcium cyanamide, commonly known as Nitrolim. It aids plants in producing large yields, enhancing farmers’ earnings. The substance is administered straight to the ground, where it decomposes without ever being used for crop development.
Are Chemical Fertilizers Harmful?
The overuse of chemical fertilizers can cause soil crust and soil acidity. By doing this, it decreases the amount of organic matter, humus, and beneficial species in the environment, which stunts plant development, changes the soil’s pH, feeds pests, and even triggers the emission of greenhouse gases.
Advantages & Disadvantages Of Chemical Fertilizers:
Advantages:
- Chemical fertilizers offer dependability and regularity.
- Fertilizers may quickly transform barren soil into fertile ground.
- They provide the plant with the correct quantity of nutrients.
- The three NPKs that are essential for plant growth are included.
- They are more affordable and less complicated to use than organic fertilizers.
- By permitting the development of the same vegetable plants in the same spot, they eliminate the need for crop rotation.
- The fertilizers can be carefully formulated to fit the requirements of crop soils, giving the optimal environment for farming.
Disadvantages:
- The microorganisms that live in the soil are affected by chemical fertilizers. The acidity of chemical fertilizers also alters the pH of the soil and makes it acidic, which changes the kind of microorganisms that can live there.
- Chemical fertilizers leak into groundwater since they are highly soluble in water and don’t provide the plant with all its advantages. The plant can obtain fewer nutrients as a result. Leaching chemical fertilizer taints the water. These compounds penetrate the subsoil, interacting with the clay to form impermeable, hardpan layers. As a result, the soil becomes compressed.
- Plant diseases are encouraged by chemical fertilizers. Fast-release chemical fertilizers provide a higher nitrogen content than slow-release organic fertilizers. When there is more nitrogen (N) than phosphate, plants are more susceptible to mosaic diseases (P). When these fertilizers are applied extensively, the beneficial bacteria that are already present in the soil are typically eliminated.
- Fertilizers aid in plant growth but do little to enhance the soil. The soil suffers when chemical fertilizers are used for a long time because trace nutrients are not supplied.
- When too much nitrogen is used to fertilize crops, nitrous oxide and other greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, can enter the environment. This effect comes from using more chemical fertilizer than the plants can readily absorb.
Final Thought:
So, this is all about the chemical fertilizer’s examples, advantages, and disadvantages. Chemical fertilizer is a type of plant nutrient that is made from synthetic chemicals and is used to provide plants with the nutrients that they need to grow. Chemical fertilizers are often used to supplement the nutrients that are naturally present in the soil, as they can help to increase crop yields and improve overall health.