Compound fertilizer

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Complex fertilizers are used for plant nutrition and, in contrast to straight fertilizers, contain several main nutritional elements .

As technical products, mineral fertilizers always contain impurities in practice, often including several nutritional elements. Nonetheless, compound fertilizers only include mixtures of substances that contain several nutrients in essential - plant-available - proportions.

Complete fertilizer

Mineral compound fertilizer with 8% nitrogen , 8% phosphate and 8% potash .

Fertilizers that contain nitrogen (N), phosphate (P) and potassium (K) - the core nutrients - are called complete fertilizers or NPK fertilizers. Nitrophoska is the brand name of the first homogeneous complete fertilizer that BASF brought onto the market in 1927. There are now many other complete fertilizers, in solid and liquid form, including special garden fertilizers, which are enriched with other trace nutrients depending on the purpose . The contents of the core nutrients are given in% of the standard commercial reference base, for example (13/13/21). This information means that the fertilizer contains 13% N ; 13% P 2 O 5 ; Contains 21% K 2 O.

The following standard varieties are marketed by various manufacturers under different brand names:

  • (13/13/21) colored or marked red, potassium in chloride form;
  • (15/15/15) colored or labeled yellow, potassium in chloride form;
  • (12/12/17 + 2) colored blue, known under the brand name " Blaukorn ", potassium as sulfate, 2% MgO.

The advantage of complete fertilizers is that they are easy to use, save on transport and the high proportion of nutrients in relation to the amount of salt applied. An important physiological advantage is the lower total osmotic load on the plants compared to cheaper, high-fiber fertilizers.

The disadvantage of NPK fertilizers is the higher price per kg of nutrient and the fixed ratio of nutrients to one another. The use of single fertilizers tends to predominate in larger arable areas and cost-sensitive crops in arable farming. In contrast, complex fertilizers are preferred for intensive crops, plants that are sensitive to salt and under glass.

Potassium magnesia dual nutrient fertilizer contains 30% potassium sulfate and 10% magnesium sulfate. It is also approved for organic farming

Bi-nutritional fertilizer

In addition to the single fertilizers and the NPK fertilizers, various forms of dual nutrient fertilizers or partial fertilizers, in some cases with added trace elements, are marketed in various compositions. Here are some examples:

  • NP fertilizer, nitrogen phosphate (20/20);
  • NK fertilizer, nitrogen potassium (20/20);
  • NMg fertilizer, nitrogen magnesium sulfate with Cu (20/8 + 0.2) with 8% MgO and 0.2% Cu;
  • PK fertilizer, Thomas phosphate potash (10/15);
  • KMg fertilizer, potassium magnesia (Patentkali) 30% potassium sulfate, 10% magnesium sulfate

See also

literature