Variety of Chemical Fertilizers and Their Uses

Chemical fertilizers, unlike the natural fertilizers, are less bulky in nature and are basically manufactured by a chemical process. It is mainly used to promote growth of plants. Chemical fertilizers are available in different forms which include granules, gas, liquid and powder forms. Natural fertilizers such as compost and manure are heavy and used for agricultural purposes.

Different Types of Chemical Fertilizers

There are various types of chemical fertilizers and some of the most important among them include the following:

Ammonium sulphate: This chemical fertilizer is similar to salt in appearance and is available in white crystal form. It has an acidic effect on the soil. Ammonium sulphate includes nitrogen and sulfur. It is mainly used as an artificial fertilizer for all types of alkaline soils. It is also used as an insecticide and fungicide.

Sodium nitrate: It is used to fertilize acidic soil. This fertilizer contains sixteen percentage of nitrogen. It is also known as Chilean nitrate.

Urea: One of the most commonly used chemical fertilizers is urea. It contains high forms of nitrogen and is white crystal in form. Urea is one of the most effective fertilizers that act quickly with water. Therefore it can seldom be stored for a long period of time.

Ammonium nitrate: Ammonium nitrate is similar to ammonium sulphate but it includes more amount of nitrogen. It contains 34 percentage of nitrogen.

Ammonia: This chemical fertilizer contains eighty percentage of nitrogen. It is available in both gaseous and liquid form. As it is quite expensive, it is used for large agricultural purposes.

Potash: Fertilizer which includes high levels of potassium and a combination of salt and chloride is known as potash.

Different types of chemical and water soluble fertilizers are used to fertilize various types of soil and crops. Majority of these fertilizers contain macro nutrients which are essential for the growth and production of plants. Soils may differ in nutritional content. Chemical fertilizers are used to meet the deficiencies of soil and enhance the production of various types of crops. Most of the fertilizers contain phosphorous, nitrogen and potassium which is essential for the growth of plants. All these three chemicals are known as macronutrients.