Monoammonium phosphate (MAP) is a widely used source of P and N. It is made of two constituents common in the fertilizer industry and has the highest P content of any common solid fertilizer.

MAP has been an important granular fertilizer for many years. It is water soluble and dissolves rapidly in soil if adequate moisture is present. Upon dissolution, the two basic components of the fertilizer separate again to release NH4+ and H2PO4-.

Both of these nutrients are important to sustain healthy plant growth. The pH of the solution surrounding the granule is moderately acidic, making MAP an especially desirable fertilizer in neutral and high pH soils.

There are no special precautions associated with the use of MAP. The slight acidity associated with this fertilizer reduces the potential for NH3 loss to the air. MAP can be placed in close proximity to germinating seeds without concern for NH3 damage.

When MAP is used as a foliar spray or added to irrigation water.
A high purity source of MAP is used as a feed ingredient for animals.

Diammonium phosphate (DAP) is the world’s most widely used phosphorus (P) fertilizer. It is made from two common constituents in the fertilizer industry and it is popular because of its relatively high nutrient content and its excellent physical properties.

Ammonium phosphate fertilizers first became available in the 1960s and DAP rapidly became the most popular in this class of products. DAP has excellent handling and storage properties. The standard grade of DAP is 18-46-0 and fertilizer products with a lower nutrient content may not be labeled as DAP.

DAP fertilizer is an excellent source of P and nitrogen (N) for plant nutrition. It is highly soluble and thus dissolves quickly in soil to release plant-available phosphate and ammonium. A notable property of DAP is the alkaline pH that develops around the dissolving granule.

As ammonium is released from dissolving DAP granules, volatile ammonia can be harmful to seedlings and plant roots in immediate proximity. To prevent the possibility of seedling damage, care should be taken to avoid placing high concentrations of DAP near germinating seeds.

The ammonium present in DAP is an excellent N source and will be gradually converted to nitrate by soil bacteria, resulting in a subsequent drop in pH. Therefore, the rise in soil pH surrounding DAP granules is a temporary effect.

Single superphosphate (SSP) was the first commercial mineral fertilizer and it led to the development of the modern plant nutrient industry. This material was once the most commonly used fertilizer, but other phosphorus (P) fertilizers have largely replaced SSP because of its relatively low P content.

The modern fertilizer industry was launched in the 1840s with discovery that the addition of sulfuric acid to naturally occurring phosphate produced an excellent soluble fertilizer, given the name superphosphate.

SSP is an excellent source of three plant nutrients. The P component reacts in soil similarly to other soluble fertilizers.

The presence of both P and sulfur (S) in SSP can be an agronomic advantage where both of these nutrients are deficient. In agronomic studies where SSP is demonstrated to be superior to other P fertilizers, it is usually due to the S and/or Ca that it contains. When locally available, SSP has found wide-spread use for fertilizing pastures where both P and S are needed. As a source of P alone, SSP often costs more than other more concentrated fertilizers, therefore it has declined in popularity.

Triple superphosphate (TSP) was one of the first high analysis P fertilizers that became widely used in the 20th century. Technically, it is known as calcium dihydrogen phosphate and as monocalcium phosphate, [Ca(H2PO4)2. H2O]. It is an excellent P source, but its use has declined as other P fertilizers have become more popular.

TSP has several agronomic advantages that made it such a popular P source for many years. It has the highest P content of dry fertilizers that do not contain N. Over 90% of the total P in TSP is water soluble, so it becomes rapidly available for plant uptake. As soil moisture dissolves the granule, the concentrated soil solution becomes acidic.

TSP also contains 15% calcium (Ca), providing an additional plant nutrient.
A major use of TSP is in situations where several solid fertilizers are blended together for broadcasting on the soil surface or for application in a concentrated band beneath the surface. It is also desirable for fertilization of leguminous crops, such as alfalfa or beans, where no additional N fertilization is needed to supplement biological N fixation.

Is one of the most popular. It contains three main components that are necessary to ensure proper quality of plants life at different stages – nitrogen (N), which improves the leaf growth, phosphorus (P), which is necessary for root formation and potassium (K), which enhances the plants immunity. NPK is a granulated fertilizer of light pink color with the high concentration of nutrients (not less than 45%).

It allows reducing the cost of transportation, storage and soil application.

NPK provides integrated plant nutrition with necessary elements; increases the crop.

This fertilizer has low hygroscopy. The low moisture content allows the product to dissipate well, which facilitates mechanized fertilization.