Fertilizers :: essays research papers

Fertilizers are substances added to the soil sprayed on leaves of plants to help them grow better or in some cases faster. Plants need twenty essentail elements to help them grow. Plants make carbohydrates. A plant needs nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, sulfur, and magnesium the most to grow healthy. Most soils naturally contain enough trace elements for field crops, but such elements must be added when certain fruits and vegetable plants are grown. Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are the top three elements needed in plant growth. Legumes are plants which absorb nitrogen gas from the air and bring the gas to the ground. Legumes are planted over with other crops and those plants get the required amount of nitrogen and grow healthy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are two kinds of fertilizers. There is organic and inorganic. Organic fertilizers are bonemeal, fishmeal, blood, and farmyard manuer. Inorganic manuer is Nitrogen, potassium or any other element necessary in the aid of plant growth. If one accidently digests inorganic fertilizer, he or she must see a doctor as soon as possible. One can get red eyes, itchiness, and or stomach problems.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During World War 2, the government built many factories to absorb nitrogen gas from the air and to use them in explosives. Soon after the war, these factories were used to absorb nitrogen gas and to be used as a fertilizer. This method was inexpensive and farmers were now actually making a profit. By 1985, farmers used approximately eleven million tons of nitrogen a year. This is eight times more than what farmers used in 1950.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most widely used fertilizer is pure ammonia. It is kept in liquid form under pressure in steel tanks. Three solid nitrogen fertilizers are ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate, and ammonium phosphate. Two common phosphorus fertilizers are superphosphate and triple superphosphate. Phosphorous fertilizer is made by treating phosphate rock with sulfuric acid. Potassium sulfate and potassium nitrate are used on crops that are harmed by chlorides.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The term straight fertilizer stands for any material that supplies one of the three principal macronutrients. The three macronutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Mixed fertilizers are fertilizers that supply more than one macronutrient. This information is neccesary to one who is intrested in purchasing fertilizer. The fertilizer companies or manufacturers basically list every package or container with three numbers. For example a package that says 4-16-18, contains 4 percent nitrogen, 16 percent phosphoric oxide, and 18 percent potassium oxide.