Many people have an image in their head of what soil is. It’s rich and full of goodness. They’re not wrong. Good soil is like that, and when we first began growing crops, we succeeded because the soil was so good. Yet if this is the case, then why now do we need fertilizers?
The crops that we grow need nutrients. Where do they get them from? The soil. What this means is that even the best soil will quickly have all the nutrients taken from it by crops, no matter what crop rotations are done to add them back. Even the most fertile soil needs a helping hand to grow a large yield. This is where crop fertilization comes in.
Why Use Fertilizer?
Without the correct nutrients in the soil, crops will fail to grow properly. The concentrations needed varies depending on what is being grown and understanding this means that you can fertilize correctly. The main three nutrients that all crops need are phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium.
Phosphorus
Phosphorus plays a major role in photosynthesis – trapping the sun’s rays and converting it into energy. As it’s essential to growth, it’s particularly important in the early stages of a crop’s life cycle. Without enough phosphorus, many plants will be weak and spindly. They will then likely have lower amounts of flowers, fruits, and seeds. In corn you will see a reddening at the edges of the leaves if it is deficient in phosphorus.
