Exercise - 12

IDENTIFICATION AND CALCULATION OF FERTILIZER

REQUIREMENT OF CROPS
Fertilizer refers to any compound that contains one or more chemical elements, organic or inorganic.
onto plants to
natural synthetic, that is placed on or incorporated into the soil or applied directly
or
of fertilizers for the
achieve normal growth. Efficient application of the correct types and amounts
Chemical fertilizers are most
supply of the nutrients is an important part of achieving profitable yields. one or more
substantial amount of plant nutrients.
commonly used for crop production that contains a and potassium fertilizers.
The chemical fertilizers can be broadly classified into: nitrogen, phosphorus,

(a) NITRoGENOUS FERTILIZERS

) Nitrate fertilizers
Sodium nitrate 166N
15.5%N
Calcium nitrate
(i) Ammonium fertilizers
20%N
Ammonium sulphate
25%N
Ammonium chloride
82%N
Anhydrous ammonia

ammonium fertilizers
(iii) Nitrate and
Ammonium nitrate
33.5%N
25%N
Calcium ammonium nitrate

Ammonium sulphate nitrate

266N

(iv) Amide fertilizers

46%N
Urea
21%N
Calcium cyanide
fertilizers
nitrogenous
Commonly used
Ammonium Nitrate (CAN)
Calcium

Ammonium sulphate

Urea
Ammonium chloride

Ammonium sulphate nitrate

(b) PHOSPHATIC FERTILIZERS

() Water soluble
16% PO
Single superphosphate
32% P.O,
Double superphosphate
46% P,O
Tripe superphosphate

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 (ii) Citric acid soluble
Basic slag
15-189% P0
Dicalcium phosphate
34% P,O,
Cii) Insoluble
Rock phosphate
30% PO,
Commonly used phosphatic fertilizers are
Single superphosphate
Triple superphosphate
Ground rock phosphate
(c) POTASSIC FERTILIZERSS
Muriate of potash
60% K,O
Sulphate of potash
48% K,O
Commonly used potassic fertilizers are
Muriate of potash
Sulphate of potash
(d) Complex fertilizers

N (%)
P,0, (6) K,O (%)
Mono ammonium phosphate
11 48
Ammonium phosphate
20 20
Diammonium phosphate 18 46
Urea ammonium phosphate
28 28
Ammonium phosphate sulphate 26 20
Mono potassium sulphate
20 20
Ammonium potassium phosphate
52
35
Ammonium potassium phosphate 5.5 54
18.5
N:P: K 12 32
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ommonly used complex fertilizers are

Diammonium phosphate
Urea ammonium phosphate
N:P: K
 Exercise- 13
PRACTICE IN THE APPLICATION OF
BY DIFFERENT METHODS
FERTILIZERS
Ootain the maximum benefit and to avoid the losses of nutrients
Volatilization, it is utmost desirable to through leaching. fixation and
practised methods are as under: apply the fertilizers by using some suitable method. The
commonly
A.
Application of fertilizers in the solid formn
.
Broadcasting: The fertilizer is
applied by broadcasting either just before sowing or while the crop
1S growing.

1)Broadcasting at planting: Just before sowing the crop, the fertilizers are broadcasted on the
entire field and mixed with the
soi thereafter. 4n 6Weeka et
i) Top dressing:
The application/of ansportur73
fértilizers particularly nitrogenous in densely sown standing
crops like wheat and paddy, is done when the leaves are completely free from dew.
ii) Side dressing: Fertilizers are applied on one or both sides of the plant row by hand in widely
spaced crops.
2. Placement: Fertilizers are placed in the soil, irrespective of the position of the seed, the seedlings
or the growing plants before sowing or after sowing the crop.
i) Plough-sole placement: Fertilizers, generally potassic and phosphatic, are placed i the presence
of adequate soil moisture at the bottom of the furow through a sowing tube (por) tied behind
the plough. Since the fertilizer is placed in subsoil where soil moisture is available for over a
longer period, it will be available to the plant for longer time, especially during dry season.
i) Deep placement: The fertilizers are applied in deep furrows opened with machinery. For
example, phosphatie fertilizers are applied in the reduced zone to paddy fields.
3. Localized placement: It is the method of applying fertilizer to the soil close to the seed or the
plant.
i) Contact placements: It refers to the drilling of the seed and the fertilizer together. It is generally
not practised, since it produces adverse effects on the germination of the seed.
i) Hill placement: ertilizers are placed in circular bands just near the widely (more than 3' x 3)
spaced crops, generally practised in the case of fruit trees.
ii) Row placement: It is practised in the case of row crops, like sugarcane. potato, maize, tobacco,
cotton and vegetables. The fertilizer is placed in a continuous band just near the crop rows
iv) Pellet placement: Pellets of nitrogenous fertilizers arid soil in the ratio of 1: 10 are placed at

a depth of 2 3" in case of paddy.

B. Application of fertilizers in the form of solution

of fertilizers in the ratios of I:1:2 of N, P,O, and K,O respectively are
) Starter solutions: Solutions at the time of transplanting.
generally applied to young vegetables
Fertilizers in the form of a solution of low concentration are sprayed on the
i) Foliar application:
It is generally practised in the case of N fertilizers, super phosphate
leaves of the standing crops.
micro nutrients.
and fertilizers containing
solution of a fertilizer. like anhydrous
of liquid fertilizers to the soil: The
iin Direct application This method is not commonly
the soil with a high, pressure equipment.
ammonia, is injected into
practised in India.
fertilizers of the combination of water
irrigation: Generally, nitrogenous
iv) Application through water. It should be practised only
soluble fertilizers are applied
by dissolving them in irrigation
methods are not possible.
when other

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