Acid-Forming - A product that tends to make the soil more acid.
Ammonia - See Anhydrous Ammonia and Aqua Ammonia.
Ammoniated Superphosphate - A product formed by reacting superphosphate with ammonia.
Ammoniation - A process wherein ammonia (anhydrous, aqua or a solution containing ammonia and other forms of nitrogen) is used to treat superphosphate to form ammoniated superphosphate, or to treat a mixture of fertilzer ingredients (including superphosphate) in the manufacture of a multiple-nutrient fertilizer.
Ammonium Hydroxide (NH4OH) - See Aqua Ammonia.
Ammonium Nitrate (NH4NO3) - A product containing approximately 33.5 percent nitrogen, one half of which is in the ammonium form and one half in the nitrate form. Ammonium nitrate is water soluble and is also used in fertilizer solutions.
Ammonium Nitrate Limestone - A combination of ammonium nitrate and limestotne to form a product containing 20.5 percent nitrogen.
Ammonium Phosphate - A product manufactured by reacting ammonia with phosphoric acid. Different phosphates can be formed, depending upon the amount of ammonia reacted with the acid. Two commonly used for fertilizer purposes are monoammonium phosphate, NH4H2PO4 (11-52-0); an diammonium phosphate, (NH4)2HPO4 (21-53-0, 16-48-0, and 18-46-0), the latter two analyses resulting when wet process phosphoric acid is used.
Ammonium Phosphate Sulfate - Wet process phosphoric acid containing an excess of sulfuric acid is neutralized with ammonia to make products such as 16-20-0.
Ammonium Sulfate ((NH4)2SO4) - A solid material manufactured by reacting ammonia with sulfuric acid, typically containing 20.5 percent-21 percent nitrogen.
Analysis - (see also grade.)The percentage composition as found by chemical analysis, expressed in those terms that laws require or permit. Although analysis and grade sometimes are used synonymously, the term grade usually is applied only to the three primary plant nutrients - nitrogen (N), available phosphate (P2O5), and soluble potash (K2O) - and is stated as the guaranteed minimum quantities present.
Anhydrous Ammonia (NH3) - A gas containing approximately 82 percent nitrogen. Under pressure, ammonia gas is changed to a liquid and is stored and transported in this form.
Aqua Ammonia (NH4OH) - Is ammonium hydroxide, and is formed by dissolving anhydrous ammonia in water. Commercial grades of ammonia liquor usually contain 20 percent-25 percent nitrogen. Most of it is used either for direct application to the soil or in the manufacture of ammoniated superphosphates.
Available Phosphate - The P2O5 equivalent of a fertilizer soluble in water plus neutral ammonium citrate, and considered readily available to growing plants. The traditional term has been available phosphoric acid (frequently abbreviated A.P.A.). This is a misnomer because, chemically, phosphoric acid is H3PO4. The correct chemical name for P2O5 is phosphorus pentoxide. The compound, P2O5, as such, never is found in fertilzer, but historically, has been an accepted term for expressing content of phosphorus.
Basic Slag - A by-product in the manufacture of steel, containing lime, phosphate and small amounts of the plant food elements such as sulfur, manganese and iron. Basic slags may contain from 10 percent-17 percent phosphate (P2O5) and 35 percent-50 percent calcium oxide (CaO) and 2 percent-10 percent magnesium oxide (MgO). The available phosphate content of most American slag is in the range of 8 percent-10 percent.
Best Management Practices - In agriculture and the fertilizer industry, best management practices (BMPs) are measures taken to prevent air and water pollution during the manufacture, transport, storage, and use of crop inputs such as fertilizer.
Bone Meal - Raw bone meal is cooked bones ground to a meal without any of the gelatine or glue removed. Steamed bone meal has been steamed under pressure to dissolve part of the gelatine.
Borax (Na2B4O7.10H2O) - A salt used in fertilizer as a source of the plnat nutrient element boron. Fertilizer borax contains about 11 percent boron.
Boron (B) - See borax.
Brand - The trade name assigned by a manufacturer to his particular fertilizer product.
Broadcast - Application of fertilizer or other material to the soil surface.
Broadcast Incorporated - Broadcast application of fertilizer or other material that is then worked into the soil.
Calcite - (See also liming materials.) Limestone containing mostly calcium carbonate, CaCO3. A more common name is simply ground agricultural limestone.
Calcium Ammonia Nitrate - A product formed by reacting calcium carbonate and ammonium nitrate, typically contains 27 percent nitrogen.
Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) - (See also calcite and liming materials.) The principal components of calcitic limestone and one of the principal components of dolomitic limestone, of which magnesium carbonate, MgCO3, is the other. Marl and oyster shells are also composed primarily of calcium carbonate.
Calcium Cyanamide (CaCN2) - An organic material containing approximately 21 percent nitrogen. It is alkaline in reaction and is used not only as a fertilizer, but also as a defoliant and for the control of weeds and certain soil-borne diseases.
Calcium Oxide (CaO) - (See also liming materials.) The active ingredient in certain liming materials. Liming materials are sometimes compared in terms of their calcium oxide equivalents.
Calcium Phosphate - (See also superphosphate.) There are several different forms of calcium phosphate. The most prevalent in nature is apatite, a highly insoluble form occurring principally as phosphate rock. In the manufacture of superphosphate, apatite is changed into the more soluble mono-calcium phosphate, monohydrate, Ca(H2PO4)2.H2O, and CaSO4.
Calcium Sulfate - See gypsum.
Chlorosis - A condition caused by low chlorophyll content and characterized by yellowing of the leaves of affected plants. Often a symptom of nutrient deficiency.
Concentrated Superphosphate - Frequently referred to as triple superphosphate (TSP). Manufactured by reacting phosphoric acid with phosphate rock. This produces a product with a P2O5 equivalent of from 44 percent-48 percent, depending upon the ratio of the acids used. The material contains only a minor amount of gypsum.
Copper Sulfate (CuSO4.5H2O) - Most common source of copper for fertilizer, 25 percent copper. Also used as an insecticide and fungicide. A common name is blue vitriol.
Copperas (Green vitriol, FeSO4.7H2O) - Ferrous sulfate used a a source of iron, especially in alkaline soils.
Cyanamide - See calcium cyanamide.
Diammonium Phosphate - See ammonium phosphate.
Dolomite - (See also liming materials.) A material used for liming soils in areas where magnesium as well as calcium are needed. Made by grinding dolomitic limestone which contains both magnesium carbonate, MgCO3, and calcium carbonate, CaCO3.
Eutrophication - Nutrient enrichment of a given body of water to the point that excessive growth of aquatic plants occurs).
Fertilizer - any material or mixture used to supply one or more of the essential plant nutrient elements.
Fluid Fertilizer - (See also nitrogen solutions.) There are two types of fluid fertilizer - Solution is a fluid in which essentially all of the plant nutrients are in solution. Suspension - a saturated solution in which some plant nutrients are suspended (by gelling clay) in a saturated solution.
Formula - Quantities of various ingredients combined to make a fertilizer.
Grade - (See also analysis.) the guaranteed analysis of a fertilizer containing one or more of the primary plant nutrient elements. Grades are stated in terms of the guaranteed percentages of total nitrogen (N), available phosphate (P2O5), and soluble potash (K2O) in that order. For example, a 10-10-10 grade would contain 10 percent total nitrogen, 10 percent available phosphate, and 10 percent soluble potash.
Guano - Decomposed dried excrement of birds and bats. The most commonly known guano comes from islands of the coast of Peru and is derived from the excrement of sea fowl. It is high in nitrogen and phosphate, and at one time was a major fertilizer in this country.
Gypsum (CaSO4.2H20) - The common name for calcium sulfate, a mineral used in the fertilizer industry as a source of calcium and sulfur. Gypsum also is used widely in reclaiming alkali soils in the western United States. Another common name is landplaster. When pure it contains approximately 18.6 percent sulfur.
Haber-Bosch Process - An industrial process used in the manufacture of anhydrous ammonia.
Hygroscopic - A term applied to a material which tends to absorb moisture from the atmosphere. Many materials used for fertilizer are hygroscopic and may require special treatment to prevent caking.
Immobilization - The process of converting inorganic N to organic form (typically by microbes which incorporate the N into their own proteins), making the N unavailable to plants.
Landplaster - See gypsum.
Lime - (See also liming materials.) Technically, lime is calcium oxide. In agricultural usage, however, the term is used to denote any liming material, including calcium carbonate, calcium hydroxide, magnesium carbonate, magnesium oxide, or any combination thereof.
Liming - Application of lime to a field as a soil amendment to raise the soil pH in the field.
Magnesium Carbonate (MgCO3) - (See also dolomite and liming materials.) A principal component of dolomitic limestone which calcium carbonate, CaCO3, is the other.
Magnesium Oxide (MgO) - (See also liming materials.) An active ingredient of certain liming materials which supply magnesium as well as calcium to the soil.
Magnesium Sulfate (MgSO4.nH20) - A soluble salt used as a source of magnesium. Common forms are Epsom salts and the mineral kieserite, 9 to 18 percent Mg.
Manganese Sulfate (MnSO4.H2O) - A solid chemical compound used as a source of manganese for plants, 26-28 percent manganese.
Marl - a calcium-rich mud made mostly of clay and calcium carbonate, used as a soil amendment. Agricultural use of marl was more widespread before the rise of commercial fertilizers.
Micronutrients - Six nutrients required in very small quantities: Boron, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, zinc.
Mineralization - The process of converting nitrogen in organic compounds to inorganic form, which makes the N available to plants.
Molybdenum - One of the essential micronutrients, especially for legumes which have nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
Monoammonium Phosphate - See ammonium phosphate.
Muriate of Potash (KCl) - The principal source of potassium for fertilizer. Muriate of potash,the chemicl name of which is potassium chloride, usualy is sold on the basis of a material containing 95 percent-99 percent KCl, with a K2O equivalent of 60 percent-62 percent.
itrate of Soda (NaNO3) - A fertilizer material containing approximately 16 percent nitrogen. The more correct chemical name is sodium nitrate. The principal source of sodium nitrate has been the natual deposits of the salt in Chile. It is also produced synthetically.
Nitric Phosphate - Phosphate fertilizer manufactured by reacting nitric acid with phosphate rock. Usually another acid such as sulfuric or phosphoric acid is added.
Nitrification - A process whereby bactria form nitrates from ammonium nitrogen.
Nitrogen Solutions - Water solutions of ammonia, ammonium nitrate and sometimes urea and other soluble compounds of nitrogen used in ammoniating superphosphate, the manufacture of complete fertilizer, and as a source of nitrogen for direct application to the soil. These solutions vary in their composition and nitrogen content. Some exert a pressure while others are non-pressure solutions.
Nonpoint Source Pollution - Pollution, usually water pollution, that cannot be traced to a single "point source" such as an effluent pipe or spill.
Normal Superphosphate - Manufactured by mixing together sulfuric acid and finely ground phosphate rock which produces a material containing principally monocalcium phosphate and gypsum. Small amounts of unreacted rock and phosphoric acid may also be present. Normal superphosphate has a P2O5 equivalent of 18 percent-22 percent.
Organic Fertilizer - Strictly speaking, an organic material is one containing carbon. This includes urea and calcium cyanamide which are manufactured synthetically. The term generally applies to products derived from plant or animal materials, such as manure, sewage slude, castor pomace and process tankage.
pH - This term, an abbreviation for potential hydrogen, expresses a measurement of hydrogen ion activity or concentration in a solution. More simply, pH is a scale from 1 to 14, used to denote the relative intensity of acidity or alkalinity. A neutral solution (or soil) has a pH of 7.0. Values below 7.0 denote progressively more intense acid conditions, those above 7.0 similarly more intense alkaline conditions.
Phosphoric Acid (H3PO4) - An inorganic acid used in the manufacture of concentrated superphosphates, ammonium phosphates and sometimes for direct application. Produced from phosphate rock and sulfuric acid, there are three forms:
- Filter grade - unconcentrated acid, 30&-32 percent P2O5.
- Merchant grade - concentrated acid, 54 percent P2O5.
- Superphosphoric - concentrated to 65 percent-72 percent P2O5.rc
Phosphoric Anhydride - See available phosphate.
Phosphoric Oxide - See available phosphate.
Phosphorus Pentoxide - See available phosphate.
Plant Nutrient - Also called plant food or plant food elements. Each is essential for plant growth.
Plow Layer - The topmost layer of topsoil.
Potash - A term used to denote the potassium oxide (K2O) equivalent of materials containing potassium. Actually, K2O as such is never found in fertilizer, but historically has been a term expressing potassium content.
Potassium Chloride (KCl) - See muriate of Potash.
Potassium Nitrate (KNO3) - A solid material containing approximately 13 percent nitrogen (N) and 44 percent potash (K20).
Potassium Sulfate (K2SO4) - A solid material with a K2O equivalent of 48 percent-52 percent. Also called sulfate of potash.
Primary Nutrients - The primary nutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. They are called primary or major elements because of the relatively large quantities needed for healthy plant growth, and are the most common constituents of commercial fertilizer.
Ratio - The numerical ratio among the concentrations of the primary nutrients in a fertilizer. For example, a 5-10-15 grade would have a 1:2:3 ratio.
Salt Index - An index used to compare solubilities of chemical compounds. Most nitrogen and potash compounds have a high index, and phosphate compounds have a low index. When applied too close to seed or on foliage, the ones with high indexes can cause salt injury.
Secondary Nutrients - Calcium, magnesium and sulfur.
Slurry - A fluid that contains undissolved solids. Continuous agitation (shaking, stirring, or other physical mixing) is required to maintain uniform concentration throughout the solution volume (without agitation, the solids begin to settle).
Sodium Molybdate (Na2MoO4,2H2O) - Common source of the micronutrient, molybdenum.
Sodium Nitrate (NaNO3) - See nitrate of soda.
Soil Solution - Water residing in the soil.
Soluble Potash - The K2O equivalent of a fertilizer soluble in an aqueous ammoniacal solution of 0.8 percent ammonium oxalate after boiling in a 1.4 percent solution of ammonium oxalate.
Subsurface Band - Banded application below the soil surface, usually using a farming implement such as a fertilizer knife or spoke. See surface band.
Sulfate of Ammonia - See Ammonium sulfate.
Sulfate of Potash-Magnesia (2MgSO4.K2SO4) - This is a solid material, also called Langbeinite, which occurs in salt deposits primarily in New Mexico and in several European countries. The commercial product usually has a K2O equivalent of about 21 percent, and contains 53 percent magnesium sulfate and not more than 2 ½ percent chlorine. It is used in fertilizer as a source of both potash and magnesium.
Surface Band - Fertilizer applied in a relatively narrow band along the surface, where seed will be planted. Contrast with broadcast application.
Sustainability - The term sustainability refers to the use of a resource in such a way that the resource is not depleted or irreparably degraded.
Tankage - Practically all animal tankage is now used as animal feed. Process tankage is made from leather scrap, wool and other inert nitrogenous materials by steaming under pressure with or without addition of acid. Typically contains: percentages or (N), and P2O5.
Triple Superphosphate - See concentrated superphosphate.
Unit - A unit of plant nutrient is 1 percent of a ton, or 20 pounds. A ton of a 6-12-12 fertilizer, for instance, contains six units of nitrogen, 12 units of phosphate and 12 units of potash.
Urea CO(NH2)2 - A solid synthetic organic material containing approximately 45 percent nitrogen. In the soil its nitrogen changes first to the ammonium form, then to the nitrate form.
Volatilization - The process by which N fertilizers such as ammonia or urea are lost to the atmosphere under certain conditions.
Watershed - The lands that drain into a given body of water such as a stream, river, or lake.
Zinc Sulfate (ZnSO4.7H2O) - White vitriol, a solid material used as a source of zinc for plants, 36 percent zinc.
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