Granular – primary nutrients – common sources
| Ingredient | Grade1 (%) | Other nutrients2 | Salt index3 | CaCO3 equivalent4 (lb/lb) | Bulk density5 (lb/ft3) | Bulk density5 (kg/L) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | ||||||
| Urea | 46-0-0 | — | 74 | 1.8 | 50 | 0.80 |
| Ammonium nitrate | 34-0-0 | — | 104 | 1.8 | 56 | 0.90 |
| Calcium ammonium nitrate | 27-0-0 | 4-6% Ca 0-2% Mg | 93 | 0.9 | 68 | 1.10 |
| Ammonium sulphate | 21-0-0 | 24% S | 68 | 3.6 | 68 | 1.10 |
| Calcium nitrate | 15-0-0 | 19% Ca | 65 | -1.3 (b) | 75 | 1.20 |
| Potassium nitrate | 12-0-44 | — | 70 | -1.9 (b) | 75 | 1.20 |
| Amidas™ | 40-0-0 | 5.5% S | 73 | 49 | 0.80 | |
| ESN® | 44-0-0 | — | 50 | 0.80 | ||
| PurYield™ | 45-0-0 | — | 50 | 0.80 | ||
| Phosphorus (P2O5) | ||||||
| Triple superphosphate | 0-46-0 | 21% Ca | 10 | Neutral | 68 | 1.10 |
| Mono-ammonium phosphate (MAP) | 11-52-0 | — | 27 | 5.4 | 62 | 1.00 |
| Di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) | 18-46-0 | — | 29 | 3.6 | 62 | 1.00 |
| Microessentials SZ™ | 11.7-40-0 | 10% S 1% Zn | 60 | 0.95 | ||
| Crystal Green® | 5-28-0 | 10% Mg | 8 | 62 | 1.00 | |
| Potassium (K2O) | ||||||
| Muriate of potash (red) | 0-0-60 | 45% Cl | 115 | Neutral | 70 | 1.10 |
| Muriate of potash (white) | 0-0-62 | 46% Cl | 116 | Neutral | 75 | 1.20 |
| Potassium sulphate (SOP) | 0-0-50 | 18% S | 43 | Neutral | 75 | 1.20 |
| Sulphate of potash-magnesia | 0-0-22 | 20% S 12% Mg | 43 | Neutral | 94 | 1.50 |
| Aspire® | 0-0-58 | 0.5% B 16% Cl | Neutral | 65 | 1.05 | |
Liquid – common sources
| Ingredient | Grade1 (%) | Other nutrients2 | Salt index3 | CaCO3 equivalent4 (lb/lb) | Bulk density5 (lb/US Gal) | Bulk density5 (kg/L) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anhydrous ammonia | 82-0-0 | — | 47 | 1.8 | 5.0 | 0.60 |
| Urea-ammonium nitrate | 28-0-0 | — | 63 | 1.8 | 10.7 | 1.28 |
| 32-0-0 | — | 71 | 1.8 | 11.0 | 1.32 | |
| Ammonium polyphosphate | 10-34-0 | — | 20 | 3.6 | 11.7 | 1.40 |
| Ammonium thiosulphate | 12-0-0 | 26% S | 90 | 3.6 | 11.1 | 1.33 |
| Potassium thiosulphate | 0-0-25 | 17% S | 68 | Neutral | 12.2 | 1.46 |
| 6-24-6 | 6-24-6 | — | 12 | 11.1 | 1.33 | |
| 9-18-9 | 9-18-9 | — | 17 | 11.1 | 1.32 |
2. Nutrients other than N, P, or K.
3. Salt index: comparison of relative solubilities of fertilizer compounds with sodium nitrate (100) per weight of material. When applied too close to the seed or on the foliage, materials with a higher salt index are more likely to cause injury.
4. CaCO3 equivalent: pounds of lime required to neutralize the acid formed by 1 lb of the N supplied by the fertilizer material. “b” following the lime index indicates a basic (acid-neutralizing or alkaline) ingredient. Note: acid-forming effects can be up to twice as great as indicated, depending on plant uptake processes.
5. Bulk density: expressed as pounds per cubic foot or kg/L. This is important since fertilizers are metered by volume rather than weight in spreaders or planting equipment.
Secondary & micronutrient – common sources
| Nutrient | Source | Nutrient content | Other nutrients | Application | |
| Soil | Foliar | ||||
| Sulphur (S) | Ammonium sulphate | 24% | 21% N | Yes | No |
| Potassium sulphate | 18% | 50% K2O | Yes | No | |
| Sulphate of potash magnesia | 20% | 22% K2O, 11% Mg | Yes | No | |
| Gypsum (calcium sulphate) | 19% | 23% Ca | Yes | No | |
| Elemental sulphur | 90% | Yes | No | ||
| Calcium (Ca) | Calcitic limestone | 22-40% | Yes | No | |
| Dolomitic limestone | 16-22% | 6-13% Mg | Yes | No | |
| Gypsum (calcium sulphate) | 23% | 19% S | Yes | No | |
| Calcium chloride | 36% | 64% Cl | Yes | Yes | |
| Calcium nitrate | 19% | 15.5% N | Yes | Yes | |
| Pelletized lime | 16-40% | 0-13% Mg | Yes | No | |
| Cement kiln dust | 26-32% | 2-9% K2O | Yes | No | |
| Magnesium (Mg) | Dolomitic limestone | 6-13% | 16-22% Ca | Yes | No |
| Epsom salts (MgSO4) | 9% | 13% S | Yes | Yes | |
| Sulphate of potash magnesia | 11% | 22% K2O, 20% S | Yes | No | |
| Boron (B) | Aspire® | 0.5% | 58% K2O | Yes | No |
| Various granular materials | 12-15% | Yes | No | ||
| Solubor™ | 20% | No | Yes | ||
| Copper (Cu) | Copper sulphate | 25% | Yes | No | |
| Copper chelates | 5-13% | No | Yes | ||
| Manganese (Mn) | Manganese sulphate | 28-32% | No | Yes | |
| Manganese chelates | 5-12% | No | Yes | ||
| Molybdenum (Mo) | Sodium molybdate | 39% | No | Yes | |
| Zinc (Zn) | Zinc sulphate | 36% | Yes | Yes | |
| Zinc oxy-sulphate | 8-36% | Yes | No | ||
| Zinc chelates | 9-14% | No | Yes | ||
References
- California Plant Health Association. 2002. Western Fertilizer Handbook. 9th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.
- Havlin, J.L., S.L. Tisdale, W.L. Nelson, and J.D. Beaton. 2017. Soil Fertility and Fertilizers: An Introduction to Nutrient Management. 8th ed. Uttar Pradesh, India: Pearson India Education Services Pvt. Ltd.
- Laboski, C.A.M. 2008. Understanding Salt Index of Fertilizers. Proc. Of 2008 Wisconsin Fertilizer, Aglime & Pest Management Conference.