The role of the fertilizer industry

The fertilizer industry helps ensure that farmers have all the crop nutrients they need to grow enough crops to meet the world requirements for food, feed, fibre and energy. The nutrients supplied by the industry supplement on-farm sources of nutrients, such as manure and legumes. The nutrients in manufactured fertilizers are in forms that can be absorbed by plants. All of these nutrient compounds exist in nature, but the quantities are not sufficient to meet the needs of our growing, urbanized population.

Soil, nutrients and good agricultural practices

The fertilizer industry encourages the adoption of Fertilizer Best Management Practices (FBMP) as part of good agricultural practices.

For efficient soil management a farmer must improve the desirable soil characteristics by means of good agricultural practices. In order to ensure sustainable and high agricultural productivity, these practices should be:

• technically sound
• economically attractive
• environmentally safe
• feasible in practice
• socially acceptable

The important components of good agricultural practices are:

• Selecting quality seed of a high yielding variety
• Choosing the best time and an appropriate method of sowing, with optimum seed rate and plant population
• Choosing appropriate fertilizers with balanced rates, method and time of application
• Replenishing organic matter
• Maintening appropriate soil reaction (pH)
• Controling insect pests and diseases with appropriate measures
• Controling weed and soil erosion
• Providing irrigation and drainage
• Adopting appropriate management practices