Nutrient Management

Fertilizer Materials
and Calculation

Part 1: Understanding the PalayCheck System

 FERTILIZER TERMINOLOGIES

• Fertilizer – any substance which is added to the soil

or applied to the plant to supply the elements
essential for plant nutrition

• Fertilizer grade – the guaranteed percentage of total

nitrogen (N), available phosphorus (P2O5), and water
soluble potassium (K2O), in that order, in a fertilizer
material

16-20-0 0% K2O
16% N
20% P2O5
 FERTILIZER TERMINOLOGIES

• Total plant food – the total percentage of nutrients

(usually of N,P,K and S) in a fertilizer material

17-0-17-12 = 46% total plant food

14-14-14-12 = 54% total plant food

• Carrier – a material that is necessary to hold the

fertilizer element in a form suitable for use

100% – 46% total plant food = 54% carrier

 FERTILIZER TERMINOLOGIES

• Filler – a material used to provide the fertilizer with the

desired amount of nutrient per unit of weight, to make
application easier, or to reduce the absorption of water
from the air

• Fertilizer recommendation – the amount (kg) of N,P2O5,

and K2O recommended per hectare

90+30+60 = 90 kg N, 30 kg P2O5, and 60 kg K2O per

hectare application
 Classification of Fertilizer Materials

According to fertilizer
According to form
elements present

• Natural organic • Single

• Chemical or inorganic • Incomplete

• Natural chemical
• Synthetic chemical • Complete

• Mixed
 According to form

1. Natural organic – any fertilizer of plant and/or animal

origin that has undergone
decomposition.
Examples: Commercial organic fertilizer (OF),
compost, chicken manure

Commercial OF may either be pure organic or fortified organic:

Organic Moisture N+P2O5+K2
C:N Ratio
Matter (%) Content (%) O (%)
Pure Organic ≥ 20 12:1 ≤ 35 ≤7
Fortified
≥ 20 12:1 ≤ 35 >7
Organic
 According to form

2. Chemical or inorganic – any fertilizer material which is

natural or synthetic product of chemical reaction of
certain raw materials.

 Natural chemical – rock phosphate, Chilean nitrate

of soda, most potassium materials
 Synthetic chemical – ammonium sulfate, ordinary
superphosphate, ammonium phosphate, complete
fertilizer; Urea is synthetic but in organic form.
According to number of fertilizer elements present

1. Single fertilizers – contain only one of the 3 major

fertilizer elements (N,P, and K)

Examples: Urea, Ammonium sulfate, ordinary

superphosphate, muriate of potash, sulfate of potash

2. Incomplete fertilizers – contain 2 of the 3 major

fertilizer elements

Examples: ammonium phosphate, 17-0-17, potassium

nitrate, potassium phosphate, urea superphosphate
(20-10-0)
According to number of fertilizer elements present

3. Complete fertilizers – contain all the 3 major fertilizer

elements

Examples: 14-14-14; 17-7-17; 10-15-15; 12-12-12

4. Mixed fertilizers – contain 2 or more of the major

fertilizer elements that are supplied by 2 or more
fertilizer materials

Examples: ammonium phosphate + muriate of potash;

urea superphosphate (20-10-0)
 Why study fertilizer grades
and fertilizer computation?

Consider this:
If Shane needs a teaspoon of sugar to sweeten her
juice but there is no sugar available, can she use honey
instead?

If Aling Mena does not have enough soy sauce for the
adobe she’s cooking, can she add salt? How much?

If Mang Ado needs to apply fertilizer at a recommended

rate of 90+30+60 but no complete fertilizer is available,
what other fertilizers and how much of it should he use
to meet the recommendation?
Common fertilizer grades in the market

Complete fertilizer 50 kg sack:

14% nitrogen 7 kg nitrogen
14% phosphorus 7 kg phosphorus
50 kg
14% potassium 7 kg potassium

Ammonium phosphate 50 kg sack:

16% nitrogen 8kg nitrogen
20% phosphorus 10kg phosphorus
50 kg
0% potassium 0kg potassium
 Urea 50 kg sack:
46% nitrogen 23 kg nitrogen
0% phosphorus 0 kg phosphorus
0% potassium 0 kg potassium
50 kg

Other common fertilizers:

Ammonium sulfate (21-0-0) 46% x 50 kg
Solophos (0-18-0) 100
Muriate of potash (0-0-60)
Urea superphosphate (21-10-0)
 Fertilizer Calculation
If Mang Ado needs to apply fertilizer
at a recommended rate of
90+30+60 but no complete fertilizer
is available, what other fertilizers
and how much of it should he use to
meet the recommendation?

Amount of Fertilizer = Recommended Rate (kg nutrient/ha) x Area (ha)

Material (kg) Percent Nutrient in Fertilizer Material
Use a combination of 3
single fertilizers

Use a combination of
incomplete and single
fertilizer materials

Use a combination of
complete and single
fertilizer materials
OPTIONS
Option 1. To calculate the amount of fertilizer
materials for 1 ha at the recommended
rate of 90 + 30 + 60 using a
combination of single fertilizers:

• 21-0-0 (ammonium sulfate)

• 0-18-0 (ordinary superphosphate)
• 0-0-60 (muriate of potash or potassium chloride)
Amount of 21-0-0 (kg) = 90 kg N/ha x 1 ha 428.6
=
0.21

Amount of 0-18-0 (kg) = 30 kg P2O5/ha x 1 ha = 166.7

0.18

Amount of 0-0-60 (kg) = 60 kg K2O/ha x 1 ha = 100.0

0.60

Therefore, Mang Ado must apply 428.6 kg 21-

0-0, 166.7 kg 0-18-0, and 100.0 kg 0-0-60 to
satisfy the recommended rate of 90 + 30 + 60.
Option 2. To calculate the amount of fertilizer
materials for 1 ha at the recommended
rate of 90 + 30 + 60 using a
combination of incomplete and single
fertilizers:
• 16-20-0 (ammonium phosphate
• 46-0-0 (urea)
• 0-0-60 (muriate of potash)
Amount of 16-20-0 (kg) = 30 kg P2O5/ha x 1 ha
= 150.0
0.20

Amount of 46-0-0 (kg) = 90 kg N – kg N from 150 kg 16-20-0/ha x 1 ha

0.46

= 90 – (150 x 0.16) = 90 – 24 = 66
0.46 0.46 0.46
= 143.5

60 kg K2O/ha x 1 ha
Amount of 0-0-60 (kg) = = 100.0
0.60

Therefore, he must apply 150.0 kg 16-20-0, 143.5

kg 46-0-0, and 100.0 kg 0-0-60 to satisfy the
recommended rate of 90 + 30 + 60
Option 3. To calculate the amount of fertilizer
materials for 1 ha at the recommended
rate of 90 + 30 + 60 using a
combination of complete and single
fertilizers:

• 14-14-14 (complete)
• 46-0-0 (urea)
• 0-0-60 (muriate of potash)
Amount of 14-14-14 (kg) = 30 kg P2O5/ha x 1 ha = 214.3
0.14

Amount of 46-0-0 (kg) = 90 kg N – kg N from 214.3 kg 14-14-14/ha x 1 ha

0.46
= 90 – (214.3 x 0.14) = 90 – 30 = 60 = 130.4
0.46 0.46 0.46

Amount of 0-0-60 (kg) = 60 kg K2O – kg K2O from 214.3 kg 14-14-14/ha x 1 ha

0.60
60 – (214.3 x 0.14) 60 – 30 30
= = = = 50.0
0.60 0.60 0.60

Therefore, he must apply 214.3 kg 14-14-14,

130.4 kg 46-0-0, and 50.0 kg 0-0-60 to satisfy the
recommended rate of 90 + 30 + 60
Determine the least
expensive fertilizer
combination that can
satisfy the recommended
rate (90 + 30 + 60).
Cost of option 1. combination of single fertilizers:

428.6 kg
21-0-0 = 50 kg/bag x P 550/bag = P 4,714.60

166.7 kg
0-18-0 = 50 kg/bag x P 550/bag = P 1,833.70

100.0 kg
0-0-60 = 50 kg/bag x P 825/bag = P 1,650.00

TOTAL COST = P 8,198.30

Cost of option 2. combination of
incomplete and
single fertilizers:

150.0 kg
16-20-0 = 50 kg/bag x P 820/bag = P 2,460.00

143.5 kg
46-0-0 = 50 kg/bag x P 890/bag = P 2,554.30

100.0 kg
0-0-60 = 50 kg/bag x P 825/bag = P 1,650.00

TOTAL COST = P 6,664.30

Cost of option 3. combination of complete
and single fertilizers:

214.3 kg
14-14-14 =
50 kg/bag x P 810/bag = P 3,471.66

130.4 kg
46-0-0 =
50 kg/bag x P 890/bag = P 2,321.12

50.0 kg
0-0-60 =
50 kg/bag x P 825/bag = P 825.00

TOTAL COST = P 6,617.78

Use a combination of 3
single fertilizers

Use a combination of
incomplete and single
fertilizer materials

Use a combination of
complete and single
fertilizer materials
CREDITS
Instructional presentation designer:
Ms. Ev Parac

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Produced in 2011.
Text: 0920-911-1398