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Fertilizer 101 Types of Fertilizer and How They Work

Types of Fertilizer and How They Work

Fertilizers are food for plants. Fertilizer helps farmers feed our growing population.

Overview

Plants require 17 essential nutrients in the soil to survive and to grow. Fertilizers help replenish these nutrients after each harvest.

Nitrogen, phosphate, potassium and sulphur, are the four most important nutrients for high crop yields and sustainable food production.

Types of Fertilizer

N

Nitrogen

Learn about nitrogen

Nitrogen (N)

Nitrogen (N) makes up 78% of the air but is unusable by plants in its natural form. To create nitrogen fertilizer, nitrogen is extracted from the air and combined with hydrogen to produce ammonia. Ammonia is applied directly to crops or used to make other nitrogen fertilizers, tailored to different climates and cropping needs worldwide.

P

Phosphorus

Learn about phosphorus

Phosphorus (P)

Phosphorus (P) is present in all living cells and is essential to all forms of life. Found throughout our bodies, it is concentrated in our teeth and bones. The source of phosphorus in fertilizer is phosphate rock, which is typically mined from the earth’s crust then reacted with different kinds of acids to produce different phosphate products. The largest deposits occur in the United States, North Africa, and China.

K

Potassium

Learn about potassium

Potassium (K)

Potassium (K) is essential for plants, supporting photosynthesis, protein formation, and water use. Sourced from potash, it is mined from ancient seabed deposits containing potassium and sodium chloride. Once mined, potassium chloride is separated to create granular fertilizer. Major deposits are in Canada, Russia, Belarus, Germany, and the U.S.

S

Sulphur

Learn about sulphur

Sulphur (S)

Sulphur (S) is essential for the production of amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins found in all living things. Sulphur also helps give crops like onion, mustard and radishes their characteristic colour. While it can be found naturally in the soil, it is not always in a form plants can use.

How Fertilizers Work

Fertilizers are food for plants. Just as we need an adequate and consistent diet to grow and stay healthy, plants and crops have to get proper nutrition from the soil to thrive.

Plants require a balanced supply of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and sulphur. As plants extract these nutrients from the soil during every growing season, they must be replenished through fertilizers, manure, and compost added to fields or gardens annually.

The advantage of using fertilizers is they can be applied with more control to match crop needs and protect the environment. They can also supplement manure or compost to ensure the soil gets an adequate supply of nutrients. Fertilizer Canada emphasizes the importance of managing and balancing the supply of nutrients to prevent both over and under fertilization.

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Whether you’re a policymaker, member, or stakeholder, Fertilizer Canada is here to support your growth. Contact us to learn more about how we can work together to shape the future of agriculture.

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