Knowra Phosphate fertilizer Phosphate fertilizer Phosphate fertilizer supplies plants with phosphorus, an essential nutrient for growth, energy transfer, and metabolism. It is made from phosphate rock or other phosphorus sources in forms plants can absorb.
Phosphorus cycle : The movement of phosphorus through rocks, soils, water, and living organisms. Fertilizer inserts mined phosphorus into this cycle, often faster than natural processes recycle it.
Diammonium phosphate : A concentrated fertilizer containing ammonium nitrogen and phosphorus, commonly sold as DAP. DAP is a widely used granular source of both phosphorus and nitrogen.
Eutrophication : The enrichment of water with nutrients that can trigger excessive growth of algae and aquatic plants. Phosphorus lost from fertilized land can accelerate algal growth in fresh water.
Organic fertilizer : Fertilizer derived from plant, animal, or microbial materials that release nutrients as they decompose. Organic sources supply phosphorus alongside carbon-rich material and often release nutrients more gradually.
Plant nutrition : The study of the mineral elements and compounds plants need for growth and function. It explains why phosphorus is essential and how plants acquire it.
Monoammonium phosphate : A water-soluble fertilizer containing ammonium nitrogen and phosphorus, commonly sold as MAP. MAP supplies phosphorus in a concentrated form and is often placed near seeds.
Algal bloom : A rapid increase in algae in a water body, sometimes producing toxins or oxygen depletion. Runoff carrying fertilizer phosphorus can fuel blooms that harm water quality.
Manure : Animal excreta, often mixed with bedding, used as a soil amendment and nutrient source. Manure can replace some mineral phosphate, but its nutrient balance may not match crop needs.
Phosphate rock : A sedimentary rock rich in phosphate minerals, chiefly apatite, used as the main raw material for phosphorus fertilizer. Most commercial phosphate fertilizers begin with mined phosphate rock.
Triple superphosphate : A concentrated phosphate fertilizer made by treating phosphate rock with phosphoric acid. It supplies phosphorus without adding nitrogen, unlike ammonium phosphate fertilizers.
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