FERTILIZERS

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 Contents
 Introduction
 Components Of Fertilizers
 Classification Of Fertilizers
 Manufacturing Process
 Fertilizer Industries In Pakistan
 Advantages And Disadvantages
 Conclusion

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 What Are Fertilizers?
 Fertilizers are the substances (organic or inorganic
materials containing one or more of the nutrients,
mainly nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, and
other essential elements) required for plant growth
and yield.

 Fertilizers come in various shapes and forms. The

most typical form is granular fertilizer (powder form),
usually come in a bag / box.

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 What Are Fertilizers (cont’d)
 Most large-scale crop producers use synthetic
fertilizers to increase their economic gain by more
efficiently supplying their crops with the nutrients
they need.

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 Why We Need Fertilizers??
 To amend soil fertility
 To improve the quality and quantity of food
 Due to immediate effect and wide coverage
 To increase plant growth and reproduction
 To give maximum potential to plant
 To make up the deficiency of essential elements
which are required for proper growth of plants.

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Essentials Of A Good Fertilizer
 It should not be injurious to plant.
 It must be fairly soluble in water so that it thoroughly
mixes with the soil.
 It should be cheap.
 It must be stable so that it is available for a longer
time to the growing plant.
 It should not alter the pH of the soil.

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 History and Background
 Firstly it was discovered that plant growth on a plot
of land could be improved by spreading
animal manure throughout the soil.

 Other types of materials added include sea-shells,

clay, vegetable waste, waste from different
manufacturing processes, and other assorted trash.

 Then with passage of time mineral, chemical and

synthetic fertilizers were developed.
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 Nutrients Essential for Plant
Growth
• Sixteen chemical elements are known to be
important to a plant's growth and survival. The
sixteen chemical elements are divided into two main
groups:

1. Non-Mineral Nutrients
2. Mineral Nutrients

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 Non-Mineral Nutrients
The Non-Mineral Nutrients are:
• Hydrogen (H)
• Oxygen (O)
• Carbon (C)
These nutrients are found in the air and water. 
• In a process called photosynthesis,
plants use energy from the sun to
change carbon dioxide
(CO2 - carbon and oxygen) and water
(H2O- hydrogen and oxygen) into
starches and sugars. These starches and sugars are the
plant's food. 
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 Non-mineral Nutrients (cont’d)
• Photosynthesis means
"making things with light".

• Since plants get carbon,

hydrogen, and oxygen from
the air and water, there is
little farmers and gardeners
can do to control how much
of these nutrients a plant can
use.
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 Mineral Nutrients
• The 13 mineral nutrients, which come from
the soil
The mineral nutrients are divided into two
groups:

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 Mineral Nutrients (cont’d)
Macro nutrients which are required by the
plant in relatively large amounts ranging from 0.2%
to 4.0% (on a dry matter weight basis)
Micro nutrients are required only in small
amounts
– minor or trace elements, ranging from 5 to 200
ppm, or less than 0.02% dry weight.

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 Macro Nutrients
Macronutrients can be broken into two more groups:

 Primary Nutrients
• Nitrogen
• Phosphorus
• Potassium

 Secondary Nutrients
• Calcium
• Sulfur
• Magnesium
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 Micro Nutrients
 Iron (Fe)
 Copper (Cu)
 Zinc (Zn)
 Boron (B)
 Molybdenum (Mo)
 Manganese (Mn)
 Chlorine (Cl)

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 Effects Of Component
Functions of nitrogen
• Promotes growth of leaves and stem
• Gives dark green color and improves quality
of foliage
• Necessary to develop cell proteins and
chlorophyll

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 Nitrogen
 Deficiency symptoms
• Sick, yellow-green color
• Short stems, small leaves, pale colored leaves and
flowers
• Slow and dwarfed plant growth

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Nitrogen Deficiency

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 Functions Of Phosphorus
 Stimulates early formation and growth of roots
 Provides for fast and vigorous growth and speeds
maturity
 Stimulates flowering and seed development
 Necessary for the enzyme action of many plant
processes

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 Phosphorus
 Deficiency symptoms
• Decrease in growth
• Slow maturity
• Older leaves are purplish color

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Phosphorus Deficiency

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 Functions of Potassium
 Used to form carbohydrates and proteins
 Formation and transfer of starches, sugars and
oils
 Increases disease resistance, vigor and
hardiness

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 Potassium
 Deficiency symptoms
• Mottled, spotted, streaked or curled leaves
• Scorched, burned, dead leaf tips and margins

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Potassium Deficiency

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 Classification Of Fertilizers

Classification of fertilizer often done on the

bases of :

• Fertilizer Phases
• Solubility
• Production & contents

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 Fertilizer phases
 Chemical fertilizers can be classified based
whether they are in solid, liquid or gaseous
form or not.
 Anhydrous ammonia is the gaseous form of
chemical fertilizer; it is technically in liquid
form but is put under pressure so that it is
released like gas.

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 Fertilizer phases (cont’d)
 Liquid fertilizers are sprayed into the soil or
added to water that is used to water the plants.

 Solid fertilizers are often dissolved into a

liquid before they are used.

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 On the basis of Solubility
 Soluble Fertilizer:
Dissolve in water and are applied as a liquid solution

 Fertigation
• fertilizing through irrigation water
• big advantage

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 On the basis of Solubility (cont’d)

 Insoluble Fertilizer:
Includes granular and slow release fertilizers
applied to the growing media.

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 Granular vs. Slow Release
 Granular
• relatively inexpensive
• easy to find

 Slow Release
• more expensive because it is coated
• more uniform release of nutrients over time period

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 Production & contents
• On the basis of the production and contents,
fertilizers are often classified into two types:

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Production & contents (cont’d)

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 Organic Fertilizers
 Organic fertilizers come from plant or animal matter
and contains naturally occurring organic materials,
(e.g. manure, worm castings, compost, seaweed) or
naturally occurring mineral deposits (e.g. saltpeter).
• Examples: urea, sludge and animal tankage

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 Chemical fertilizers
• (Also known as inorganic fertilizers or
synthetic fertilizers). Come from sources other
than animals or plants….Chemical products.

• Nitrogenous Fertilizers
• Phosphatic Fertilizers
• Potassium fertilizers
• Mixed Fertilizers

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 Nitrogenous Fertilizers
 These fertilizers supply nitrogen to the plants or soil.
Nitrogen is required during the early stage of plant
growth for the development of stem and leaves. It is the
main constituent of protein imparts green color to the
leaves and enhances the yield and quality of the plants.
Nitrogen is useful for the healthy growth of garden
plants. It also sees to it that the vitamins are retained.
Some examples of nitrogen fertilizers are:
• Ammonia
• Urea
• Ammonium sulfate,
• Ammonium nitrate (AN)
• Calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN)
• Ammonium sulfate nitrate (ASN) 35
 Phosphatic Fertilizers
 These fertilizers provide phosphorus to plants or
soil. The various Phosphatic fertilizers have
different compositions, due to which they have
different solubilities.Two most important water
soluble fertilizers are super phosphates (calcium
super phosphate) and triple super
phosphate(diammonium phosphates).
Phosphorus provides resistance against disease
and helps in the growth of roots and seeds.

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 Phosphatic Fertilizers (cont’d)
 Phosphate fertilizers are produced by adding
acid to ground or pulverized phosphate rock. If
sulfuric acid is used, single or normal,
phosphate (SSP) is produced, with a
phosphorus content of 16-21% as phosphorous
pent oxide (P2O5). If phosphoric acid is
phosphorus content of 43-48%
SSP production involves mixing the sulfuric acid
and the rock in a reactor.

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 Potassium Fertilizers
 These fertilizers supply Potassium to the plants or soil.
Potassium also resists germs and encourages growth of
roots. It is also required for the formation of starch, sugar
and fibrous material of the plant. They make plant
strong by healthy root
development. They also
help in ripening of seeds,
fruits and cereals. These
fertilizers are especially
useful for tobacco,
coffee, potato and corn.
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 Mixed Fertilizers
• Mixed fertilizers contain two or more of the elements
nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK), which
are essential for good plant growth and high crop
yields. Examples are:
 Ammonium phosphates
 Diammonium phosphate
 Nitro phosphates
 potash

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 Fertilizer Analysis
 All fertilizers are labeled with 3 numbers (i.e.12-3-9 or
10-10-10)giving the percentage by weight of nitrogen
(N), phosphate (P), and potash (K).These numbers are
called the “guaranteed analysis”.

20-10-20

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 Fertilizer Analysis (cont’d)
For Example
A 100 pound bag of fertilizer has an
analysis of 15-5-15. How many pounds
of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium
are in the bag?
• Nitrogen: 100lbs X 15%=15lbs
• Phosphorus: 100lbs X 5%=5lbs
• Potassium: 100lbs X 15%=15lbs

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 Fertilizer Ratios
 A fertilizer with a 10-10-10 analysis would have a
1:1:1 ratio
 A fertilizer with a 24-8-16 analysis would have a
3:1:2 ratio

 What would be the ratio for a fertilizer with an

analysis of 36-18-27
4:2:3
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 Manufacturing Process
 Raw Material

 Granulating and Blending

 Bagging

 Quality Control

 By Product/Waste

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 Raw Material
 The fertilizers outlined here are compound fertilizers
composed of primary nutrients and secondary
nutrients.
 Secondary nutrients are added to some fertilizers to
make them more effective e.g. Mg, Ca
 The raw materials, in solid form, can be supplied to
fertilizer manufacturers in bulk quantities of
thousands of tons.

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 Raw Material (cont’d)
Nitrogen fertilizer Components
 Ammonia is one nitrogen fertilizer component that
can be synthesized from in-expensive raw materials.
Nitrogen is used for preparation of ammonia.

 While ammonia itself is sometimes used as a

fertilizer, it is often converted to other substances for
ease of handling.

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 Raw Material (cont’d)
Nitrogen fertilizer Components
 When ammonia is treated with nitric acid
ammonium nitrate produce which is a good
fertilizer component because it has a high
concentration of nitrogen.

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 Raw Material (cont’d)
Phosphorus Fertilizer Components
 Phosphorus obtained from phosphate rocks
treated with sulfuric acid to produce
phosphoric acid.
 Some phosphoric acid is treated with nitric
acid to produce triple super phosphate.
 While some phosphoric acid is treated with
ammonia to produce ammonium phosphate
which is a good primary fertilizer.
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 Raw Material (cont’d)
Potassium Fertilizer Components
 The potassium source comes from potassium
chloride a primary component of potash.
 Potassium chloride is typically supplied to
fertilizer manufacturers in bulk.
 The manufacturer converts it into a
more usable form by granulating it. This
makes it easier to mix with other fertilizer
components.
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Granulating

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 Granulating (cont’d)
 To produce fertilizer in the most usable form they are
granulated and blended together.
 One method of granulation is by the use of fluidised
bed of fertilizer solution.
 Fertilizer solution is kept in fluidisation tank. Air is
introduced from bottom which converts it into solid
particles or granules and dust is thrown upward.
 The solid particles or granules are sent for
screening where the desired size particles or granules
are withdrawn as product.
 The large size particles than desired ones are oversize
which are sent to crusher to produce fines and
recycling.
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 Granulating (cont’d)
 Another method of granulation involves putting the solid
materials into a rotating drum which has an inclined axis.
As the drum rotates, pieces of the solid fertilizer take on
small spherical shapes.
 They are passed through a screen that separates out
adequately sized particles.
 A coating of inert dust is then applied to the particles,
keeping each one discrete and inhibiting moisture retention.
 Finally, the particles are dried, completing the granulation
process.

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 Blending
The different types of particles are blended together in
appropriate proportions to produce a composite
fertilizer.
 The blending is done in a large mixing drum that
rotates a specific number of turns to produce the best
mixture possible.
 After mixing, the fertilizer is emptied onto a
conveyor belt, which transports it to the bagging
machine

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 Bagging
 Fertilizers are typically supplied in
large bags.
 To fill these bags the fertilizer is
first delivered into a large hopper.
An appropriate amount is released
from the hopper into a bag that is
held open by a clamping device.
 The bag is on a vibrating surface,
which allows better packing.

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 Bagging (cont’d)

 When filling is
complete, the bag is
transported upright to a
machine that seals it.
 The bag is then
conveyed to a palletizer,
which stacks multiple
bags.

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 Quality Control
 To ensure the quality of the fertilizer that is produced,
manufacturers monitor the product at each stage of
production.
 The raw materials and the finished products are all
subjected to a battery of physical and chemical tests
to show that they meet the specifications previously
developed.
 Some of the characteristics that are tested include pH,
appearance, density, and melting point.

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 Quality Control (cont’d)
 Composition analysis tests are run on samples to
determine total nitrogen content, phosphate content,
and other elements affecting the chemical
composition.

 Various other tests are also performed, depending on

the specific nature of the fertilizer composition.

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 By Product/Waste
 Much of nitrogen applied to soil is washed into
surrounding bodies of water or filters into
the groundwater. Disorders of the kidney systems are
a result of excessive nitrates in drinking water.

 Nitrates itself are not harmful. But when get into

body combine with hemoglobin and cause problems.

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 By Product/Waste (cont’d)

 Nitrosamines are another potential byproduct of the

nitrates in fertilizer. It can cause tumor in animals.

 However, been no study that shows a link between

fertilizer use and human tumors.

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 Factors Affecting The
Production Of Fertilizers
 Natural calamities, floods and bad weather conditions.
Pest attack on the crops mainly on major crops such as
cotton wheat rice and sugarcane.
 Change in the prices of crops and other agricultural
products (fruits and vegetables) brought by the farmers
to the market.
 Modernization of old fertilizer plants and introduction of
latest technology in existing fertilizer plants:
 Shortage of raw material.
 Fertilizer marketing system.
 Price (Increase/decrease) of various types of fertilizers.
 Managerial problems within a factory.
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 Fertilizers Industries In
Pakistan

The fertilizer industries have played a vital role in the

development of both the agriculture and industrial sectors of
economy. At the time of independence of Pakistan, there was
no any fertilizer factory but in 1957, first fertilizer factory
was set up at Faisalabad with a capacity of 25 thousand tons
of SSP product. 63
 Fertilizers Industries In Pakistan
(cont’d)
 Main four fertilizer industries working in
Pakistan are:
• Fauji Fertilizer Limited
• Pak Arab Fertilizers Limited
• Engro Fertilizer Limited
• Dawood Hercules Chemicals Limited

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ADVANTAGES
&
USES

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 Advantages
Organic fertilizers have the following advantages:
1. Releasing nutrients at a slower, more consistent rate,
helping to avoid a boom-and-bust pattern.
2. Helping to retain soil moisture, reducing the stress due
to temporary moisture stress.
3. Improving the soil structure.
4. Helping to prevent topsoil erosion (responsible for
desertfication).
5. Organic fertilizers also have the advantage of avoiding
certain problems associated with the regular heavy use
of artificial fertilizers.
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 Advantages
Inorganic fertilizers have the following disadvantages:

1. Rich source of nutrients as compared to organic fertilizers.

2. We can make desired ratio of nutrients.
3. Costs are lower for if fertilizer is locally available.
4. Release nutrients at higher rate than organic fertilizers.
5. Chemical fertilizers also enter into the soil more quickly than
organic fertilizers because organic fertilizers have to wait for
fungi and bacteria to break down the fertilizer.

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 Uses Of Fertilizers
 Fertilizers can improve yields in a vegetable
garden or increase flowering in an ornamental
garden.
 Natural fertilizers like compost and manure are
used to improve soil texture and fertility.
 Nitrogen-rich fertilizer is particularly useful
for greening lawns.
 It can also use to make explosive mixtures.
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 Disadvantages
Organic fertilizers have the following disadvantages:
1. Dilute source of nutrients as compared to inorganic
fertilizers.
2. Organic fertilizers are more difficult to use than
synthetic fertilizers. Because the nutrients in organic
fertilizers can vary, it is more difficult to determine
how much should be used.
3. Organic fertilizers take longer to break down in the
soil and are much less potent, so if they are not applied
in the right amounts at the right time, your plants may
not get the nutrients they need.
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 Disadvantages
Inorganic fertilizers have the following disadvantages:

1. Runoff of synthetic fertilizer can enter the waterways,

causing water to be polluted and to lose oxygen.
2. Over time, chemical fertilizers can degrade the quality of
the soil by building up toxins or leaching away natural
nutrients, making the soil unfit for growing plants.
3. Using too much fertilizer can damage plants by
chemically burning roots and leaves.
4. Harmful for health.
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 CONCLUSION
• Both types of fertilizers have disadvantages,
but in most cases, fertilizing plants is
necessary to maintain a healthy garden. Plants
often require more nutrients than their soil is
able to provide naturally. If cost and
convenience is a bigger concern, you might
prefer synthetic fertilizers. If you are more
worried about environmental issues and health,
you might want to use organic fertilizers.
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 References
 http://www.madehow.com/Volume-3/Fertilizer.html
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawood_Hercules_Chemicals_Limit
ed
 http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/fertilizer
 http://www.gardenguides.com/77381-disadvantages-
fertilizers.html
 http://www.gardenguides.com/77381-disadvantages-
fertilizers.html#ixzz14rLUeDKo
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_fertilizer#Advantages
 http://www.soils.wisc.edu/~barak/soilscience326/macronut.htm
 http://www.ncagr.gov/cyber/kidswrld/plant/nutrient.htm
 http://www.agr.state.nc.us/agronomi/sthome.htm
 http://en.allexperts.com/q/Fertilizer-717/nitrogen-phosphours-
potassium.htm
 http://www.ehow.com/about_7230998_effect-fertilizers-
soil.html#ixzz14rZhakcJ
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