What is fertilizers | Difference between NPK and DPA fertilizer & their side effects

What is fertilizer? A natural or chemical substance that is put on land or soil to make plants grow better. Plants are made up of four main elements: hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen. The key difference between DAP and NPK fertilizer is that the DAP fertilizer has no potassium whereas the NPK fertilizer contains potassium as well. What is NPK Fertilizer? NPK stands for Nitrogen phosphorus potassium -NPK fertilizers are three component fertilizers that are very useful for agricultural purposes. This fertilizer acts as a source of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. -These are the three primary nutrients that the crops need for their growth and development & proper functioning. 1-Nitrogen (N): leaf growth. + 2-Phosphorus (P): Development of roots, flowers, seeds, fruit. 3-Potassium (K): Strong stem growth, movement of water in plants, promotion of flowering and fruiting. -It is a combination of three numbers, separated by two dashes. For example, 10-10-10 indicates that the fertilizer provides 10% of each nutrient. The first number refers to the percentage of nitrogen (N%), the second number is for phosphorous percentage (in the forms of P2O5%), and the third is for potassium percentage (K2O%). What is DAP Fertilizer? DAP refers to Diammonium phosphate -DAP fertilizers are sources of nitrogen and phosphorous that have wide usage in agricultural purposes. -The major component in this fertilizer is diammonium phosphate that has the chemical formula (NH4)2HPO4.  -And it is water-soluble ammonium phosphate. -The standard nutrient grade of this fertilizer is 18-46-0, it has nitrogen and phosphorous in the ratio of 18:46, but it has no potassium -The pH of this substance is 7.5 to 8.0. -Therefore, if we add this fertilizer to the soil, it can create an alkaline pH around the fertilizer granules that dissolve in soil water; thus the user should avoid adding a high amount of this fertilizer. Side effects - The problems with chemical fertilizers is they seep through the soil into the groundwater and other water sources, leading to contamination. - NPK in small quantities is non-toxic, but a lot can kill the balance of nature in various ways. Nitrogen is especially tricky - In addition, chemical fertilizers can make the topsoil acidic, because nitrogen lowers the pH of the soil. - The ideal pH for maximum plant growth and crop yield is between 5.5 and 8. - If the soil is too acidic (pH lower than 5.5), it will yield less crops. - Food crops produced using chemical fertilizers may not be as nutritious as they should be.

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