This paper provides a brief account of the major discoveries and inventions which made fertilisers a reality. By and large, the development of fertilisers consists of several post 1800 discoveries and inventions of some key processes and materials. These concern industrial nitrogen fixation into ammonia, search for suitable catalysts, discovery of urea and its synthesis, discovery and mining of sulphur, phosphate rod and potash minerals, synthesis of sulphuric acid and phosphoric acid. The major contributions were those of Liebig. tawes, Haber, Bosch, Wohler, Johansen and Frasch. Foundations of the fertiliser industry were laid primarily in Germany, Norway, UK and North America. Over the years, fertilisers, various natural resources and techno-commercial initiatives backed by appropriate infrastructure and logistics have benefitted billions of people not once or twice but on a sustained basis. This is likely to continue. While discussing major developments in the global context, a mention is also made of the appearance of major fertilisers on the Indian scene.
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