FERTILIZERS

1
FERTILIZERS

• Satisfying the plants need for essential
  nutrients

2
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS

• Environmental
• Primary Macronutrients
• Secondary Macronutrients
• Micronutrients

3
ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENTS

• Carbon (C)
• Hydrogen (H)
• Oxygen (O)

4
PRIMARY MACRONUTRIENTS

• Nitrogen (N)
• Phosphorus (P)
• Potassium (K)

5
SECONDARY MACRONUTRIENTS

• Calcium (Ca)
• Magnesium (Mg)
• Sulphur (S)

6
MICRONUTRIENTS

• Boron (B)
• Cadmium (Cd)
• Chlorine (Cl)
• Copper (Cu)
• Iron (Fe)
• Lead (Pb)

• Manganese (Mn)
• Molybdenum (Mo)
• Nickel (Ni)
• Sodium (Na)
• Zinc (Zn)
• Cobalt (Co)

Sometimes required
7
FERTILIZER ANALYSIS
All fertilizers are labeled with three numbers
giving the percentage by weight of Nitrogen (N),
Phosphate (P?O5), and Potash (K2) To simplify the
analysis they are represented by Nitrogen (N),
Phosphorous (P), and Potassium (K) N - P - K
8
WEIGHT RATIO ANALYSYS
N - P - K 10 - 10 - 10 What this means is that
per one hundred pounds of product there are ten
pounds each of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and
Potassium (N-P-K). All other ingredients are
considered and called filler.
9
COMPLETE VERSUS INCOMPLETE FERTILIZERS

• A complete fertilizer will contain all elements
  N-P-K
• An incomplete fertilizer will contain only one or
  two of the elements

10
SPECIAL PURPOSE FERTILIZERS

• Azalea/Rhododendron
• Camellia
• Rose
• Tomato
• Fertilizer combined with herbicide

11
COMPARISON OF FERTILIZERS

• Synthetic
• Conventional
• Slow release
• Natural
• Humic materials
• Manures
• Sewage sludge

12
CONVENTIONAL FERTILIZERS
Advantages
Disadvantages

• Greater burn potential
• Solidifies when wet
• Nitrogen leaches readily
• Soluble salts

• Fast acting
• Some are acid forming
• Low cost
• Easy to control

13
SLOW-RELEASE FERTILIZERS
Advantages
Disadvantages

• Fewer applications
• Low burn potential
• Release rate varies
• Slow release rate

• High cost
• Limited availability
• Release rate factors

14
NATURAL FERTILZERS

• Carbonous material
• Cottonseed meal (7-3-2)
• Dried blood (12-3-0)
• Bone meal (3-22-0)
• Fish emulsion (5-1-0)
• Manures and sewage sludge
• Non-carbonous material

15
Natural Fertilizers-Carbonous
Advantages
Disadvantages

• Low burn potential
• Slow release
• Contains micronutrients
• Conditions the soil
• Apply at high rates

• Slow response
• Bulky
• Expensive
• Weed seed
• Cold weather

16
MANURES OR SEWAGE SLUDGE
Advantages
Disadvantages

• Low burn potential
• Relatively slow release
• Contains micronutrients

• Salt problems
• Difficult to control odor
• Expensive per nutrient
• Weed seeds
• Heavy metals

17
GREEN MANURE

• Legumes
• Alfalfa
• Ladino clover
• Sweet clover
• Red Clover
• Soybeans
• White clover

• Non-legumes
• Annual ryegrass
• Crimson clover
• Oats
• Horse bean
• Rough pea

18
FERTILIZER FORMULATION

• Solid
• Granular
• Powder
• Liquid

19
FERTILIZER APPLICATION

• Application techniques
• Computing amount to apply

20
FERTILIZER APPLICATION

• Hot weather application
• Nitrogen
• Moisture
• Soluble salts
• Garden
• Container

21
FERTILIZER APPLICATION

• Soil type dictates frequency
• Plantings and type of fertilizer
• Watering or rainfall
• Timing

22
APPLICATION METHODS

• Broadcasting
• Banding
• Starter solution
• Side-dressing
• Foliar feeding

23
COMPUTING FERTILIZER APPLICATION
The Formula
Application rate Area (pounds
per 1000SF) X (Square feet) Element content
1000 as a decimal
Fertilizer product to apply in pounds
24
COMPUTING FERTILIZER APPLICATION
The Simplified Formula
100
Factor Element weight
The factor times the square feet, expressed as a
single digit, will provide the quantity of
product per 1000 square feet to apply
25
PRACTICAL EXERCISE

• Garden 25 x 25
• Fertilizer 5-10-10
• Rate 1 pound per 1000 square feet

26
PRACTICAL EXERCISE

• Lawn 100 x 40 (Centipedegrass)
• Fertilizer 10-10-10
• Rate .5 pounds per 1000 square feet

27
SUMMARY

• Essential elements
• Fertilizer analysis
• Complete versus incomplete
• Special purpose fertilizers
• Natural and synthetic
• Fertilizer formulation
• Fertilizer application

28
(No Transcript)