A Preliminary Study on Plant Nutrients Production as Combined Fertilzers, Consumption Patterns and Future Prospects for Pakistan

摘要

Fertilizers are artificial substances which contain chemical elements that are required by plants for robust growth and productivity of crops. Fertilizers are applied to soils to increase the soil fertility which is the capacity of soil to supply essentail nutrients to plants for their growth and development. Modern chemical fertilizers include one or more elements, but the most important elements in plant nutrition are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which are called primary nutrients. Of primary nutrients, nitrogen is considered to be the most important one and is required by the crops in the greatest quantities. Nitrogenous fertilizers mostly used by local faarmers include urea (46% N), calcium ammonium nitrate CAN (26% N) and ammonium sulphate (21% N + 24% sulphur). Phosphatic fertilizers include single super phosphate (18% P2O5 + 12% sulphur), Triple superphosphate (46% P2O5 + 1.5% sulphur), Di-ammonium phosphate (46% P2O5 + 18% N) and Mono-ammonium phosphate (52% P2O5 + 11% N + 2% sulphur). Potassium is supplied to plants as K2O. Sulphate of potash (50% K2O + 18% sulphur) and Muriate of potash (60% K2O) are two important potassic fertilizers. In Pakistan, total production of urea was over 4.2 million tons, DAP 0.44 million tons, CAN 0.34 million tons, NP 0.39 million tons and 0.10 million tons of NPK complete fertlizer in 2010-11 with 14 industerial units. Urea, DAP and SOP are used by farming community in greatest quantities, which were available at the price of Rs. 1045, 3236 and 2800, respectively during 2010-11. Sindh leads in terms of more fertlizers use among four provinces. Fertilizers use is much less in Pakistan due to high prices and poor financial condition of farmers. There is need to integrate organic sources with inorganic fertlizers to increase crops yield. Furthermore, farmers need to be aware of importance of inorganic fertilizers use in order to increase crops production and ultimately to ensure the food security of teeming millions.