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Created page with "link=http://www.snv.org/ link=http://www.wageningenur.nl/en/wageningen-university.htm Download:..."
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Download: [http://intothefield.nl/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Module-4-3rd-edition-2016-08.pdf Module 4: Fertiliser Application]
{|style="background-color: #ffff7f" width="80%" cellpadding="15"
|'''Warning!''' Fake fertilisers are a common problem in many countries. Be careful when buying fertilisers, especially from someone you don’t know.
|}
When buying fertilisers, stick to the following guidelines:
* Buy from a trusted person;
* Do not buy fertilisers that are extremely cheap or from an unclear origin (these are likely to be fake);
* Check if the fertilisers are in good condition (i.e. dry, clean, correct colour);
* Check if the bags look good and have been closed correctly with a straight stitch and the same colour thread for all bags;
* Check if the soluble fertilisers (i.e. all fertilisers other than rock phosphate and dolomite) actually dissolve when a handful is thrown into a bucket of water. If the grains sink to the bottom and don’t dissolve after stirring the fertiliser is probably fake;
* If KCl (MOP) or urea is dissolved when put in water, the water temperature should go down, so the water should get colder;
* Check the smell of KCI—good quality KCl doesn’t have a particular smell.
===Advantages and disadvantages of different types of fertilisers===
The following tables provide an overview of the key advantages and disadvantages of different types of fertilisers on the market today <ref>I.R. Rankine, T.H. Fairhurst, Field Handbook: Oil Palm Series, Volume 3 – Mature, second ed., Potash & Phosphate Institute (PPI), Singapore, 1999.</ref><sup>,</sup> <ref>FAO, FAOSTAT Metadata/classifications/resources, in, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, 2013.</ref>.
====Nitrogen fertiliser====
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5"
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Type
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | % N
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Advantages
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Disadvantages
|-
|Urea
|46
|Cheap, easy to store
|Loss through leaching and volatilisation, acidifying
|-
|Ammonium nitrate (AN)
|34
|Little volatilisation, non-acidifying
|Expensive, difficult to store
|-
|Sulphate of ammonium (SA)
|20.6
|Easy to store
|Expensive, very acidifying, induces Mg deficiency
|}
===Phosphate fertiliser===
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5"
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Type
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | % P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Advantages
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Disadvantages
|-
|Triple Super Phosphate (TSP)
|45—47
|Very soluble, effective, also contains 20% CaO
|Expensive
|-
|Diammonium Phosphate (DAP)
|46
|Very soluble, also contains 18% N and 11% S
|
|-
|Rock Phosphate (RP)
|30—34
|Inexpensive, effective, also contains 45% CaO
|Bulky, slower response, high transport costs
|}
===Potassium fertiliser===
[[Image:oil-palm4.5-figure17.png|thumb|right|200px|Figure 17: KCl, also known as potassium chloride or Muriate of Potash (MOP)]]
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5"
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Type
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | % K<sub>2</sub>O
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Advantages
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Disadvantages
|-
|Muriate of Potash (MOP, KCl)
|60
|Relatively cheap, effective, also contains 35% Cl
|
|-
|Bunch ash
|20—40
|Cheap, increased soil pH, effective
|Cannot be stored for long, difficult to obtain for smallholders
|}
===Compound fertiliser (NPK)===
[[Image:oil-palm-4.5-figure18.png|thumb|right|200px|Figure 18: NPK fertiliser with magnesium and trace elements (12-12-17-2 + TE)]]
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5"
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Type
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | % N, P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>, K<sub>2</sub>O, MgO
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Advantages
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Disadvantages
|-
|12-12-17-2<br>
+ micronutrients
|12-12-17-2 <br>
+ micronutrients
|Easy to apply and easy to obtain, containing all required nutrients
|Expensive, less suitable for mature plantations
|}
'''Note''': Compound (NPK) fertilisers are usually most suitable for application in nurseries and immature plantations (less than 3 years after planting). In mature plantations, the balance of N, P and K in the compound fertilisers is often not correct, and in most cases it is cheaper to apply single nutrient fertilisers unless the labour costs for application are high.
===Magnesium fertiliser===
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5"
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Type
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | % MgO
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Advantages
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Disadvantages
|-
|Kieserite
|26
|More soluble, also contains 23% S
|Expensive
|-
|Langbeinite
|18
|More soluble, also contains 22% K<sub>2</sub>O and 22% S
|
|-
|Dolomite
|10—18
|Reduces soil acidity, also contains ~ 30% CaO
|Insoluble, only useful on very acid soils <sup>1, 2</sup>
|}
===Boron fertiliser===
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5"
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Type
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | % B
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Advantages
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Disadvantages
|-
|Borax
|11.3
|Effective
|Expensive
|}
===Copper and zinc fertiliser <ref>International Zinc Association, Crops, International Zinc Association, Brussels, www.zinc.org/crops, Accessed November 20 2014.</ref>===
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5"
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Type
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | % Cu / Zn
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Advantages
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Disadvantages
|-
|Copper sulfate
|25
|Also contains 13% S
|Expensive, difficult to get
|-
|Zinc sulfate (ZnSO<sub>4</sub>.H<sub>2</sub>O)
|36
|Also contains S
|Relatively expensive, difficult to get
|-
|Zinc sulfate (ZnSO<sub>4</sub>.7H<sub>2</sub>O)
|22
|Also contains S
|Relatively expensive, difficult to get
|}
===References===
<references/>
===Acknowledgements===
The material from ''Types of fertilisers'' is sourced from Smallholder Oil Palm Handbook and put together by Lotte Suzanne Woittiez ([http://www.wageningenur.nl/en/wageningen-university.htm Wageningen Universit]) and Haryono Sadikin, Sri Turhina, Hidayat Dani, Tri Purba Dukan, and Hans Smit ([http://www.snv.org/ SNV]) in August 2016. See [http://intothefield.nl/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Module-4-3rd-edition-2016-08.pdf Module 4: Fertiliser Application] for more information.
[[Image:SNV logo.png|left|80px|link=http://www.snv.org/]]
[[Image:wageningen university logo.png|left|350px|link=http://www.wageningenur.nl/en/wageningen-university.htm]]
[[Image:wageningen small.png|right|100px|link=http://www.wageningenur.nl/en/wageningen-university.htm]]
Download: [http://intothefield.nl/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Module-4-3rd-edition-2016-08.pdf Module 4: Fertiliser Application]
{|style="background-color: #ffff7f" width="80%" cellpadding="15"
|'''Warning!''' Fake fertilisers are a common problem in many countries. Be careful when buying fertilisers, especially from someone you don’t know.
|}
When buying fertilisers, stick to the following guidelines:
* Buy from a trusted person;
* Do not buy fertilisers that are extremely cheap or from an unclear origin (these are likely to be fake);
* Check if the fertilisers are in good condition (i.e. dry, clean, correct colour);
* Check if the bags look good and have been closed correctly with a straight stitch and the same colour thread for all bags;
* Check if the soluble fertilisers (i.e. all fertilisers other than rock phosphate and dolomite) actually dissolve when a handful is thrown into a bucket of water. If the grains sink to the bottom and don’t dissolve after stirring the fertiliser is probably fake;
* If KCl (MOP) or urea is dissolved when put in water, the water temperature should go down, so the water should get colder;
* Check the smell of KCI—good quality KCl doesn’t have a particular smell.
===Advantages and disadvantages of different types of fertilisers===
The following tables provide an overview of the key advantages and disadvantages of different types of fertilisers on the market today <ref>I.R. Rankine, T.H. Fairhurst, Field Handbook: Oil Palm Series, Volume 3 – Mature, second ed., Potash & Phosphate Institute (PPI), Singapore, 1999.</ref><sup>,</sup> <ref>FAO, FAOSTAT Metadata/classifications/resources, in, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, 2013.</ref>.
====Nitrogen fertiliser====
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5"
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Type
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | % N
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Advantages
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Disadvantages
|-
|Urea
|46
|Cheap, easy to store
|Loss through leaching and volatilisation, acidifying
|-
|Ammonium nitrate (AN)
|34
|Little volatilisation, non-acidifying
|Expensive, difficult to store
|-
|Sulphate of ammonium (SA)
|20.6
|Easy to store
|Expensive, very acidifying, induces Mg deficiency
|}
===Phosphate fertiliser===
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5"
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Type
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | % P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Advantages
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Disadvantages
|-
|Triple Super Phosphate (TSP)
|45—47
|Very soluble, effective, also contains 20% CaO
|Expensive
|-
|Diammonium Phosphate (DAP)
|46
|Very soluble, also contains 18% N and 11% S
|
|-
|Rock Phosphate (RP)
|30—34
|Inexpensive, effective, also contains 45% CaO
|Bulky, slower response, high transport costs
|}
===Potassium fertiliser===
[[Image:oil-palm4.5-figure17.png|thumb|right|200px|Figure 17: KCl, also known as potassium chloride or Muriate of Potash (MOP)]]
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5"
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Type
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | % K<sub>2</sub>O
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Advantages
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Disadvantages
|-
|Muriate of Potash (MOP, KCl)
|60
|Relatively cheap, effective, also contains 35% Cl
|
|-
|Bunch ash
|20—40
|Cheap, increased soil pH, effective
|Cannot be stored for long, difficult to obtain for smallholders
|}
===Compound fertiliser (NPK)===
[[Image:oil-palm-4.5-figure18.png|thumb|right|200px|Figure 18: NPK fertiliser with magnesium and trace elements (12-12-17-2 + TE)]]
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5"
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Type
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | % N, P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>, K<sub>2</sub>O, MgO
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Advantages
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Disadvantages
|-
|12-12-17-2<br>
+ micronutrients
|12-12-17-2 <br>
+ micronutrients
|Easy to apply and easy to obtain, containing all required nutrients
|Expensive, less suitable for mature plantations
|}
'''Note''': Compound (NPK) fertilisers are usually most suitable for application in nurseries and immature plantations (less than 3 years after planting). In mature plantations, the balance of N, P and K in the compound fertilisers is often not correct, and in most cases it is cheaper to apply single nutrient fertilisers unless the labour costs for application are high.
===Magnesium fertiliser===
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5"
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Type
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | % MgO
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Advantages
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Disadvantages
|-
|Kieserite
|26
|More soluble, also contains 23% S
|Expensive
|-
|Langbeinite
|18
|More soluble, also contains 22% K<sub>2</sub>O and 22% S
|
|-
|Dolomite
|10—18
|Reduces soil acidity, also contains ~ 30% CaO
|Insoluble, only useful on very acid soils <sup>1, 2</sup>
|}
===Boron fertiliser===
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5"
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Type
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | % B
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Advantages
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Disadvantages
|-
|Borax
|11.3
|Effective
|Expensive
|}
===Copper and zinc fertiliser <ref>International Zinc Association, Crops, International Zinc Association, Brussels, www.zinc.org/crops, Accessed November 20 2014.</ref>===
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5"
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Type
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | % Cu / Zn
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Advantages
! width="25%" style="background:#efefef;" | Disadvantages
|-
|Copper sulfate
|25
|Also contains 13% S
|Expensive, difficult to get
|-
|Zinc sulfate (ZnSO<sub>4</sub>.H<sub>2</sub>O)
|36
|Also contains S
|Relatively expensive, difficult to get
|-
|Zinc sulfate (ZnSO<sub>4</sub>.7H<sub>2</sub>O)
|22
|Also contains S
|Relatively expensive, difficult to get
|}
===References===
<references/>
===Acknowledgements===
The material from ''Types of fertilisers'' is sourced from Smallholder Oil Palm Handbook and put together by Lotte Suzanne Woittiez ([http://www.wageningenur.nl/en/wageningen-university.htm Wageningen Universit]) and Haryono Sadikin, Sri Turhina, Hidayat Dani, Tri Purba Dukan, and Hans Smit ([http://www.snv.org/ SNV]) in August 2016. See [http://intothefield.nl/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Module-4-3rd-edition-2016-08.pdf Module 4: Fertiliser Application] for more information.
[[Image:SNV logo.png|left|80px|link=http://www.snv.org/]]
[[Image:wageningen university logo.png|left|350px|link=http://www.wageningenur.nl/en/wageningen-university.htm]]
