Crop production has increased dramatically over the last few
decades, much of which has been due to the widespread
introduction of chemical fertilizers starting in the mid-1900s.
Matching fertilizer application rates to crop needs is an
essential component of optimizing crop production. However,
different crops in separate fields will require varying rates of
the major nutrients – nitrogen (N), phosphate (P2O5), and
potassium (potash, K2O) – due to variations in soil types, soil
test phosphorus and potassium levels, and nutrient ranges of
different crops. Meeting these N-P2O5-K2O (sometimes abbreviated
to N-P-K) requirements without overapplying any of these
nutrients is possible by blending various types of fertilizer to
give the correct N-P2O5-K2O ratio. This allows you to apply the
correct rate of a particular blended fertilizer. Other
considerations such as cost of available fertilizers and crop
micronutrient requirements also need to be considered when
blending fertilizers. In addition, particle size com