It is easy to take for granted how the food we eat was grown, how the putting green at a local golf course is so nice, or how decorative houseplants become so large and beautiful. The secret behind all these everyday pleasures is fertilizers. Fertilizers supply the nutrients necessary to a plant that are not as abundant as oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon. Fertilizers are an important part of farming because it allows for better growth and a larger yield. Not only are fertilizers important for farming, but they are also used on golf courses, private lawns, and in gardening and landscaping. Chemistry is the very foundation of fertilization due to the chemical elements and how they operate, the purpose behind fertilizer, the time frame, the…show more content… Many people initially picture manure when the term fertilizer is mentioned or discussed. Manure was traditionally used as a fertilizer, but modern fertilizers consist of different elements engineered chemically along with natural animal manure, compost, and other organic matter. Modern fertilizers really became popular after WWII around 1945 because of the excess ammonia, its availability, and low cost [13]. Ammonia was then used for nitrogen fertilizers, but little research was done on them. After researching and gaining knowledge on the amount of fertilizer needed and how the plants were affected by the fertilizer, the system became much more effective. The modern fertilizer industry is worth $10 billion dollars in the United States today [2]. This is a massive industry where both imports and exports are worth billions of dollars.
Fertilizers are usually a combination of different elements. These elements can be split up into macro and micronutrients. The macronutrients are the main nutrients a plant needs to support healthy growth, whereas the plant needs less micronutrients. There are six macronutrients: nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, sulfur, and magnesium. The macronutrients nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium require the highest amount of application and are emphasized the most. The remaining three macronutrients - calcium, sulfur, and magnesium - require a lower application amount. The micronutrients consist of zinc, copper, iron,