A good crop yield can be ensured with the correct amounts of water supply, sunlight, soil and suitable fertilizers. There are a lot of factors that affect a good yield, including seed type, agricultural methods used and time period. However, one external factor that is very important for crops is the fertilizer.
What is a fertilizer? Yes, crops grow on their own. However, when time is limited, and the seeds need to be optimized to their maximum capacity, some catalysts are needed to boost their growth. This is where fertilizers come into play.
Fertilizers replenish the soil with the required nutrients and increase the fertility of the soil. There are two major types of fertilizers: Organic fertilizers and inorganic fertilizers. If you want to know more about them as agriculturalists, read the following article.
- Organic Fertilizers:
Organic fertilizers are mostly made up of the waste of living things, like animal dung, discarded waste of plants, fruits, industrial waste and sludge and other such organic debris. This fertilizer is also called as manure, farmyard or natural fertilizer and comes in the following major types.
- Animal-Based: Some bio fertilizers are made out of animal waste which is easily available on farms. This can include animal manure, the excreta of animals which is collected and added to a compost. These fertilizers can also be made of bone meal, fish meal, blood meal or sea-based ingredients like shell fish waste, including crab shells that are high in nutrients.
- Plant-Based: This one is made from the waste of plants like seaweed, cotton meal, sugarcane molasses, and other crop waste left behind in agricultural yields. This is also a very readily available organic fertilizer which is easy to make and use. These fertilizers provide the nutrients required for plant growth and soil health.
- Inorganic Fertilizers:
Inorganic fertilizers, unlike organic ones, are made using chemicals. These agri chemicals are high in nitrogen, phosphorous, urea, potash, and other targeted nutrients that are important for soil fertility and plant growth. They can be made with a combination of chemicals and are widely divided into the following types:
- Nitrogen Fertilizers: Nitrogen is an important nutrient for crop growth. Nitrogen-based fertilizers are used to boost plant growth and quality. They are easy to absorb by plants and can be made with a combination of ammonium, sulphates, and chlorides, depending on the crop’s needs.
- Phosphorus Fertilizers: Phosphorus is another very important component required by plants for plant growth and root growth as it helps with cell division and proliferation. It also helps in the process of photosynthesis. Phosphorus fertilizers can also be made with calcium and citric phosphates.
The amount of fertilizer used in a crop is important and will determine the growth rate of the plant. You don’t want to underuse the fertilizer, which might yield slower or no results, or overuse the fertilizer, which can make your solid infertile. For this purpose, you can use a fertilizer calculator, which will tell you the amount of fertilizer needed for a specific crop or an area of soil.
There are other types of fertilizers too that you should research on. Learn their use, pros, cons and compatibility with crops. Happy Farming!