NPK Fertilizers
Compound Fertilizers = Complete Fertilizers
NPK fertilizers, containing Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K), are essential for plant growth and development. Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) are considered as primary macronutrients and Sulphur (S), Calcium (Ca) and Magnesium (Mg) are considered as secondary macronutrients. Micronutrients includes iron, zinc, boron and copper. Each nutrient plays a unique role in plant growth and development.
NPK fertilizers delivers its nutrients slowly. Thus, it has a long-term effect. Rain does not wash it out of the ground as fast. Thus, it is ideal for outdoors. This kind of fertilizer is usually administered to the plants through the so-called process of top-dressing, which means that the product is sprinkled evenly over the entire surface of the soil and not worked into it. Deep fertilization is only preferable for deep-rooted plants (such as fruit bearing plants and trees) in order to supply the roots with more speed and effectiveness.
Nitrogen
"N" is the elemental symbol for nitrogen. Nitrogen takes on an array of different functions in the plant and is therefore particularly important. Mainly, it is responsible for plant growth, regeneration, healthy green leaf development and crucial for achieving high crop yields.
Phosphorus
"P" refers to Phosphorus, which is also a main nutritional element in plants. The essential functions of phosphorus care for the transmission and storage of elemental energy, as wellas root formation. In addition, it is essential for photosynthesis. Thus, phosphorus is helpful from the beginning, meaning that it supports the seed, for example, during fertilization.
Potassium
"K" stands for Potassium, the third essential nutrient. This material provides for water absorption and thus for an appropriate balance of water in the plant. That also leads to strong plant tissue and a high resilience and resistance. At the same time, it promotes resistance to diseases, extreme weather conditions, such as the cold, etc.
Compound Fertilizers
Using steam granulation process, granular fertilizers such as Urea, DAP, Potash, Ammonium Sulfate are combined with fillers and micro-nutrients to produce different grade of compound fertilizers like NPK and NPS.
Since, all plants do not have the same nutritional needs, there are NPK fertilizers with different compositions. The different compositions are distinguishable from each other by a series of numbers on the product, the so-called NPKvalue.