Most fertilizers that are commonly used in agriculture contain the three basic plant nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Some fertilizers also contain certain “micronutrients,” such as zinc and other metals, that are necessary for plant growth. Materials that are applied to the land primarily to enhance soil characteristics (rather than as plant food) are commonly referred to as soil amendments.
Nitrogen (N) is applied directly to crops as a nitrogen fertilizer, or it is used as a building block to make other nitrogen fertilizer products.
Phosphorus (P) The source of phosphorus in fertilizer is phosphate rock. Which is typically mined from the earth’s crust then reacted with different kinds of acids to produce different phosphate products.
Potassium (K) Plants use potassium for functions like photosynthesis, protein formation, and water use.
Sulphur (S) Sulphur also helps give crops like onion, mustard and radishes their characteristic color.
How Fertilizers Work
Fertilizers are food for plants. Just as we need an adequate and consistent diet to grow and stay healthy, plants and crops have to get proper nutrition from the soil to thrive.
Plants require a balanced supply of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and Sulphur. As plants extract these nutrients from the soil during every growing season. They must be replenished through fertilizers, manure, and compost added to fields or gardens annually.
The advantage of using fertilizers is they can be applied with control to match crop needs and protect the environment. They can also supplement manure or compost to ensure the soil gets an adequate supply of nutrients. Fertilizer Canada emphasizes the importance of managing and balancing the supply of nutrients to prevent both over and under fertilization.
A NATURAL SOLUTION FOR STRONG GROWTH Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, which plants convert into new growth. Some amino acids play a critical role in photosynthesis, the process by which carbohydrates are converted into both energy and new proteins. iQ Amino-N is a water soluble or liquid organic nitrogen fertilizer. It is OMRI approved. iQ Amino-N is…
NATURE’S BUILDING BLOCKS – IMPROVED Certain levels of microbial activity in the soil are critical to efficient plant uptake of nutrients and ultimately, optimum growth and yields. The basic building blocks of all life forms is carbon, and with the proper mix of both carbon and proteins, all crops — in any region — can benefit from an effective application…
IMPROVE YOUR PLANT’S ENVIRONMENT Growers encounter two types of soil construction problems: soils that are ‘dispersed’, that is, allow too much water, essentially drowning the roots — or soils that are ‘compacted’, keeping water out of the micropores where nutrients are taken up. Calcium has been proven to be an essential ingredient to building ‘flocculated’ — or properly structured soil…
START YOUR SEEDING OFF MILES AHEAD OF YOUR COMPETITORS iQ Granular Starter is 100% OMRI approved Organic Layer Poultry Compost. This product has proven to be a very effective starter fertilizer in Canola, Flax and Pea Production. (2018-2020 Independent 3rd Party data and Producer Results) Only top quality raw materials used. High in calcium, carbon and naturally occurring minerals, great for any…
START FAST & FINISH STRONG Overwhelming research proves that plants require an available supply of phosphorus from the beginning stages of life to reach their potential. Most phosphorus is unavailable to plants (becomes tied up) as it reacts with calcium, aluminum, iron and other ions in the soil. This leads to nutrient deficiency, causing a lack of fruit or flowers…
HIGH ENERGY—LOW INPUTS Potassium is in tremendous supply within most soils, but just a fraction (1 %) is plant-available. This means that for most crops, a frequent application of soluble, plant-available potassium is required to maximize yield potential. Proper potassium nutrition is critical for plants for water movement, energy production and the activation of enzymes that promote overall plant strength…
GET SET FOR HIGHER YIELDS At plant set, crops are at the stage of their greatest need of proteins for development and nutrients. These proteins counter-balance the external and internal stresses of development. Nutrients that enhance nitrogen conversion and amino acids that increase microbial activity are especially important. The combination of complexed and chelated ionic nutrients in IQ Set provides…
