FMPAC

Fertilizers: The Unsung Heroes of Agricultural Success

Fertilizers can be likened to a plant’s dietary supplements, offering essential nutrients they require to flourish and prosper. While plants naturally absorb carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen from their surroundings and water, they also demand a plethora of additional vital elements to ensure their optimal growth and overall health. Fertilizers bridge this nutrient gap.
Fertilizers can be likened to a plant’s dietary supplements, offering essential nutrients they require to flourish and prosper. While plants naturally absorb carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen from their surroundings and water, they also demand a plethora of additional vital elements to ensure their optimal growth and overall health. Fertilizers bridge this nutrient gap. The cornerstone nutrients present in most commercial fertilizers include Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K).
Yet, the list doesn’t end there. Plants also benefit from nutrients like Sulphur (S), Magnesium (Mg), Calcium (Ca), Zinc (Zn), Iron (Fe), Boron (B), Manganese (Mn), Copper (Cu), Molybdenum (Mo), Chlorine (Cl), Nickel (Ni), and Iodine (I). Some specialized plant species might even seek nutrients like Sodium (Na) and Cobalt (Co) for their well-being. The significance of mineral fertilizers in the realm of agriculture cannot be overstated. They act as a pivotal force in bolstering our food supply, enhancing the yield from a given land parcel. It’s astounding to realize that roughly 50% of the food on our plates owes its existence to the use of these mineral fertilizers.

A mineral plant nutrient is an element which is:

Essential or beneficial for plant growth and development

Essential for the quality attributes of the harvested product of a given plant species grown in its natural or cultivated environment.