Importance of Fertilisers for Agriculture and Farming

Soils naturally have several nutrients such as calcium, phosphorous, potassium, and nitrogen, allowing plants to grow and flourish. However, when soil nutrients are missing, plants start to suffer from nutrient deficiency and stop budding. Fertilisers are chemicals given to plants and crops externally to boost their fertility. Plants need the right amount of moisture from irrigation, natural light from the sun, and nutrients from compost and fertilisers to grow. Fertilisers such as NPK Consortia have all vital nutrients for plant growth that include potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus. They improve the water preservation capacity of the soil and boost fertility.

Types of Fertilisers

There are different kinds of fertilisers that include non-organic, organic, slow-release, and water-soluble fertilisers. A perfect fertiliser has all three essential components - nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium.

Nitrogen

Nitrogen provides benefits to all parts of a plant including stems, flowers, roots, leaves, and fruits. It also gives green colour to plants. In case the leaves start becoming yellow or the plants turn pale, nitrogen deficiency may be the reason.

Phosphorus

Lack of phosphorus can cause poor flowering and fruiting and little growth. The right quantity of phosphorus is required to aid plants and crops from roots, fruits, and flowers.

Potassium

The potassium in the fertilisers strengthens the straws and stalks of the plants. The deficiency of potassium can leave plants yellowish and weaken the roots.

Advantages of Fertilisers

Here are a few benefits of using fertilisers for plants and crops:

• They have a quick effect on the crops and plants.
• Fertilisers boost the crop yield and give sufficient nutrients.
• Fertilisers are water-soluble and can easily dissolve in the earth. Thus, they are absorbed by crops and plants without any problem.

So, fertilisers can help your lawn and farm be healthy and green all year long. However, finding the right one is crucial. So, here are a few things that you have to consider when picking the best fertilizer:

1. N-P-K Ratio

   Fertilisers come with information about the nutrients they have. You should check the N-P-K ratio, which is the volume of potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen present in it. Make sure you test the soil using a kit to get an idea about the available nutrients. You need to find out which nutrients are missing and which are in abundance and then choose a fertiliser accordingly.

2. Synthetic or organic fertilisers

   While synthetic fertilisers are prepared using the chemicals mentioned on the product tag, organic fertilisers are made with living organisms, including fish emulsion, compost and manure, and cottonseed meal. Organic fertilisers release nutrients gradually, but synthetic fertilisers are quick in releasing nutrients to plants that are fragile or weak. These fertilisers are manufactured in both liquid and dry form, and their effects can remain for 4 to 7 months.

3. Complete or incomplete fertilisers

   Fertilisers that have all nutrients are known as complete fertilisers. Products that have only 1 or 2 nutrients are called incomplete fertilisers. In case your soil already has 2 or 3 nutrients, it would be wise to choose an incomplete fertiliser to increase the third nutrient. Remember, if a plant already has enough nutrients, but you add up more through a complete fertiliser, it can adversely affect the growth of the plant.
   
   Choosing the right fertilisers, such as NPK Consortia, can also boost the plants’ tolerance towards pests.

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