How Are Fertilizers Produced?

Types

• Plants require 14 essential nutrients, but nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus are the three most critical elements, and commercial fertilizer companies focus on these elements in fertilizer production. While commercial fertilizers generally include all three elements, users can combine different fertilizer products to achieve a precise nutritional balance.

Methods

• Nitrogen fertilizer combines natural atmospheric nitrogen with hydrogen and heat to create ammonia. Potassium fertilizer comes from mined ore deposits containing potassium, according to the International Fertilizer Industry Association. Phosphorus-based fertilizers come from a combination of phosphate-bearing rock deposits and sulfuric acid.

Finished Product

• Commercial fertilizer manufacturers label their bags with numbers that The Fertilizer Institute calls "the analysis," indicating the percentages of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus in the mix. The remainder of the final product may contain fillers and additional micronutrients.