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Fertilizers are any solid, liquid or gaseous substances containing one or more plant nutrients.
They are either applied to the soil, directly on the plant (foliage) or added to aqueous solutions, in order to maintain soil fertility, improve crop development, yield and/or crop quality.
The purpose of fertilizers are to supplement the natural supply of soil nutrient, build up soil fertility in order to satisfy the demand of crops with a high yield potential and to compensate for the nutrients taken by harvested products or lost by unavoidable leakages to the environment, in order to maintain good soil conditions for cropping.
World nitrogen fertilizer consumption
Nitrogen is the most consumed nutrient, due to its important role in crop production. Indeed, N is an important component of many structural, genetic and metabolic compounds in plant cells.
Urea (46-0-0) is currently the most popular N fertilizer source with about 54 percent of the world market and represents the major sectoral growth in the nitrogen industry. The growth in demand has stimulated a growth in production.
World phosphate fertilizer consumption
The trend in phosphate consumption by product shows that diammonium phosphate (DAP) is the most consumed P fertilizer worldwide, representing than 50% of the market, due to its high P and N concentration. The single superphosphare (SSP) used to be the leading product but it has been bypassed by high-analysis P fertilizers, such as ammonium phosphates (like DAP).
World potash consumption
The most used K fertilizer product worldwide is potassium chloride, also known as muriate of potash (MOP). It accounts for almost 70 percent of all demand for K fertilizers. In some countries, such as the United States, Brazil or India, it accounts for more than 90 percent of all K fertilizer sold.