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
16% N

0% K2O
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
application

per hectare

Classification of Fertilizer Materials

According to form

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:

N+P2O5+K2O
Moisture
Content (%)
(%)

Organic
Matter (%)

C:N Ratio

Pure Organic

20

12:1

35

Fortified
Organic

20

12:1

35

>7

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 shes 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

FERTILIZER

14-14-14
50 kg

FERTILIZER

16-20-0
50 kg

Complete fertilizer
14% nitrogen
14% phosphorus
14% potassium

50 kg sack:
7 kg nitrogen
7 kg phosphorus
7 kg potassium

Ammonium phosphate 50 kg sack:

16% nitrogen
20% phosphorus
0% potassium

8kg nitrogen
10kg phosphorus
0kg potassium

FERTILIZER

46-0-0

Urea
46% nitrogen
0% phosphorus
0% potassium

50 kg sack:
23 kg nitrogen
0 kg phosphorus
0 kg potassium

50 kg

Other common fertilizers:

Ammonium sulfate (21-0-0)
Solophos (0-18-0)
Muriate of potash (0-0-60)
Urea superphosphate (21-10-0)

46% x 50 kg
100

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

21-0-0
0-18-0

0-0-60

16-20-0

Use a combination of
incomplete and single
fertilizer materials

0-0-60
14-14-14

46-0-0

OPTIONS

46-0-0
0-0-60

Use a combination of
complete and single
fertilizer materials

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
0.21

428.6

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

0.18

166.7

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

0.60

100.0

Therefore, Mang Ado must apply 428.6 kg 210-0, 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)
0.46
= 143.5
Amount of 0-0-60 (kg) = 60 kg K2O/ha x 1 ha
0.60

= 90 24 =
0.46

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

100.0

66
0.46

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 =

0.14

214.3

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 =
0.46
0.46

60 = 130.4
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:

8 -0
1
0
0
21-0

21-0-0 =

428.6 kg
50 kg/bag

x P 550/bag = P 4,714.60

0-18-0 =

166.7 kg
50 kg/bag

x P 550/bag = P 1,833.70

0-0-60 =

100.0 kg
50 kg/bag

x P 825/bag = P 1,650.00
TOTAL COST = P 8,198.30

0-0-60

Cost of option 2. combination of

incomplete and
single fertilizers:

0- 0
16-20-0 460-0-60

16-20-0 =

150.0 kg x P 820/bag =
50 kg/bag

P 2,460.00

46-0-0 =

143.5 kg x P 890/bag =
50 kg/bag

P 2,554.30

0-0-60 =

100.0 kg x P 825/bag =
50 kg/bag

P 1,650.00

TOTAL COST = P 6,664.30

Cost of option 3. combination of complete

and single fertilizers:

0-0-60
14-14-14

46-0-0

14-14-14 =

214.3 kg x P 810/bag = P 3,471.66

50 kg/bag

46-0-0 =

130.4 kg x P 890/bag = P 2,321.12

50 kg/bag

0-0-60 =

50.0 kg x P 825/bag = P
50 kg/bag

825.00

TOTAL COST = P 6,617.78

Use a combination of 3
single fertilizers
21-0-0
0-18-0

16-20-0

0-0-60

46-0-0

Use a combination of
incomplete and single
fertilizer materials

0-0-60

0-0-60
14-14-14

46-0-0

Use a combination of
complete and single
fertilizer materials

CREDITS
Instructional presentation designer:

Ms. Ev Parac

Note:
Adapted from powerpoint presentations developed by:

Mr. Salvador Yabes

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Produced in 2011.

Text: 0920-911-1398