PLANT NUTRITION PRODUCTS
Nutrition is the most important factor to increase the soil fertility. Either use as a base fertilizer or foliar fertilizer nutrients have to be applied in appropriate formulation and amount to obtain healthy growth in crops.
Nitrogen Fertilizers
Potassium Nitrate
Is a nitrogen fertilizer which contents potassium. It serves both potassium and nitrogen necessities.
Urea Phosphate
Is a nitrogen fertilizer which contents phosphorus. It serves both phosphorus and nitrogen necessities. It precedences due to its acidic characteristic and other advantages in drip lines.
Calcium Nitrate
Is a nitrogen fertilizer which contents calcium. It serves both calcium and nitrogen necessities.
Mono Ammonium Phosphate
Is a nitrogen fertilizer which contents phosphorus. It serves both calcium and nitrogen necessities.
Magnesium Nitrate
Is a nitrogen fertilizer which contents magnesium. It serves magnesium and nitrogen necessities both.
Calcium Magnesium Nitrate
Is a nitrogen fertilizer which contents calcium and magnesium. It serves calcium, magnesium and nitrogen necessities altogether.
Ammonium Sulfate, Ammonium Nitrate and Urea.
Ammonium Sulfate
It is white color and known as a sugar fertilizer because of its granular sugar look. It can be light green, blue and grey like green. 21% of its content is nitrogen. Long use of ammonium sulfate can acidify the soil. In alkaline soils it can be desirable but its + ions can be compatible with the nutrients and can increase the rate of disease. Because of these advantages in many crops ammonium nitrate must be used in stead of ammonium sulfate.
Ammonium Nitrate
26% Ammonium nitrate, it contains lime and 26 N/ 100 kg. 33% Ammonium Nitrate does not contain lime and it has totally water soluble 33kg N/100 kg. Nitrate form should be more preferred because of its easy uptake by plant and its adjusted dose by user.
Urea
It contains the most nitrogen in nitrogen fertilizers. It has 45-46 kg N/100 kg. It is water soluble, white color and round shape. It can be applied to all crops. Its uptake depends on the time, temperature and microorganism reaction. This feature is not preferable for the cultivation.
Total nitrogen must be applied partially. Nitrogen fertilizers are mobile in the soil, can not be attached in the soil. Excess and early applications can be leached and become useless for the plant. First part should be given to the base and the rest should be given during the season when the crop requires.
Phosphorus Fertilizer
Super Phosphate, Triple Super Phosphate.
Super Phosphate: It is a granular fertilizer. It is light grey color and contains 16-23% water soluble phosphoric acid.
Triple Super Phosphate: It contains 43-46 kg phosphoric acid in 100 kg. It is grey color. Caking occurs under humid storage condition. It can be used by breaking the lumps.
In Turkey Triple Super Phosphate and DAP are mostly used fertilizer in the phosphorous fertilizers.
Phosphorus based fertilizers are mostly immobile. Therefore they are used in base fertilizing and autumn-winter application is more adequate. The application should be made depending on the crop.
Potassium Fertilizers
There are different potassium contain fertilizers. Potassium Sulfate, Potassium Nitrate, Potassium Tio Sulfate, Potassium Chloride are some of them. The consideration about the sufficiency of the potassium in Turkey and its unnecessary use is not true. Potassium enhances the resistance to the stress conditions and dry matter. Potassium sulfate 48-52 % and Potassium nitrate 46 % contain potassium.
Compound Fertilizers
They contain more than one nutrient. Their nutrient contents are nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. They are signified in %. For instance a 15-15-15 compound fertilizer contains 15 kg of nitrogen, 15 kg of phosphorous and 15 kg of potassium in 100 kg.
Diammonium Phosphate (DAP): Its content is 18-46-0. DAP contains two main nutrient as phosphorous and nitrogen. It is dark grey or dusty white and contains 1:3 rates N: P. It must be preferred in alkaline soil in stead of TSP. Other compound fertilizers may have the formulation like 20-20-0, 26-13-0 and 15-15-15.
20-20-0 formulated compound fertilizer contains 20 kg N, 20 kg P in 100 kg. ıt is grey-brown color and granular. Compound fertilizers dissolve slowly so they are generally used as a base dressing.
NPK (Nitrogen- Phosphorus- Potassium) Fertilizers
Nitrogen
It leads to leaf and stem formation and affects physiological functions, yield and quality. It is the main substance of proteins and chlorophyll which changes the solar energy in to efficient energy that can be used by plants. Plants consume nitrogen more during the vegetative stages.
Phosphorous
It has an active role in the flowering, root growth, seed and fruit formation. Phosphorous is the energy transporter. Cell formation, tissue development and formation of some organic substrates are influenced by phosphorous.
Potassium
Potassium increases the quality, taste, aroma and color. It balances the osmosis. In potassium deficiency plants become stressed in the lack of water. It enhances the root development, increases resistance to water stress and disease. It acts in the protein, carbohydrates and lipid grease formation.
Calcium, Magnesium Nitrate Fertilizers
Calcium
Calcium strengthens the cell wall. If potassium is considered as a brick in the cell wall, calcium is the cement. Hence, calcium makes the plants strong against the stress environment. It is also important in the root development and helps to cell division and development. In its deficiency, roots, growth become weak or stop completely. Fruits soften and lose their resistance.
Magnesium
Magnesium is found in the chlorophyll structure. Thus it acts in the photosynthesis. In its deficiency due to its role in the photosynthesis, growth, seed and fruit development become weak and fruit lose increases.
Sulphur
It affects the yield and quality due to its different function in the plant. It acts also in protein, enzyme and vitamin functions. It is effective in the high pH soil to decrease the soil pH.
Iron
It is unconditional for the chlorophyll formation. It acts in the protein and carbohydrate formation, respiration and in enzyme activity. Iron uptake is low in calcareous soil.
Zinc
It is necessary to hormone activity in chlorophyll and growth. It is responsible in water uptake and water use. Excess phosphorous fertilization causes zinc deficiency in high potassium and calcareous soil conditions. In its deficiency, slowness in the growth, deformation and shortness in the leaf and fruit are commonly seen.
Copper
It is necessary for the chlorophyll synthesis. It balances the water transformation and necessary for the seed production.
Manganese
It acts in the chlorophyll synthesis with iron. It is active in some enzyme, protein and carbohydrate activity. To help to the plant growth it is combined with copper, iron, zinc.
Boron
It is important in the flowering and fruit set and continue the pollen viability. Boron enriches the plant resistance by increasing the cell wall strength. In the deficiency flowering, seed and fruit set decreases and occurs death points.
Molybdenum
It is important in the nitrogen uptake and use of iron and phosphorous. In deficiency, plants can be infected by soil originated diseases, flowers fade, and plants become dwarf. Vitamin C is limited and the number of chlorophyll decreases.