How to Use of Phosphoric Acid in Agriculture

Phosphoric acid along with nitric acid is an important compound in the production of chemical fertilizers. Today, with the increase in population and the need to provide the nutrients they need, chemical fertilizers have been considered in order to increase soil fertility and thus produce more crops.

At present, more than 90% of the phosphoric acid produced in the industry is used in the production of various agricultural phosphate fertilizers.

Phosphoric Acid in Agriculture:

Today, most agricultural soils face the problem of phosphorus deficiency and thus reduce crop production, while in some areas there is excess phosphorus. Of course, the problem of soil phosphorus deficiency is exacerbated by continuous cultivation and soil erosion.

Therefore, the use of phosphoric acid in agriculture is a great option to strengthen plants and get more products from them.

Is Phosphoric Acid a good Fertilizer?

Phosphate fertilizers are those agricultural fertilizers that are added to agricultural soils for plant growth, and through this, the nutrients needed by the plant, especially phosphorus, are made available to it. Interestingly, in agricultural soils, phosphoric acid is produced by the decomposition of soil organic matter, but the phosphorus in this mineral acid is not usable for the plant. Therefore, it is necessary to add phosphorus to the soil in the form of another compound. Of course, soil pH also plays a role in phosphorus uptake by plants. Phosphate fertilizers are a type of use of phosphoric acid in industry.

Importance of Using Phosphate Fertilizers in Agriculture:

As you know, Phosphorus is one of the nutrients that a plant needs to grow. The presence of phosphorus can greatly help root growth, germination, and plant maturity. One of the important points that expresses the necessity of using phosphoric acid in the production of agricultural fertilizers is that many soils usually lose their phosphorus due to rainfall. Therefore, the production of phosphate fertilizers using phosphoric acid and adding them to the soil can return this element to plants.

Commercial phosphate fertilizers are produced using phosphate obtained from mining rocks. Extracting phosphorus from ore in significant concentrations is costly and, in many cases, uneconomical. In this regard, the production of phosphoric acid by industrial methods can provide the basis for its production and application in the production of phosphate fertilizers. The most common phosphate fertilizers are diammonium phosphate (DAP), monoammonium phosphate (MAP), NPK, and SSP fertilizers.

Types of Phosphate Fertilizers:

DAP fertilizers:

This type of phosphate fertilizer is the most common fertilizer used in the world. The reason for the popularity of this fertilizer is its high nutritional value and ideal physical properties. DAP is an excellent source of phosphorus and nitrogen. This fertilizer contains relatively suitable elements of phosphorus and nitrogen for plants such as wheat, barley, fruits, and vegetables. The global demand for this type of phosphate fertilizer is about 30 million tons per year.

NPK fertilizers:

Fertilizers contain a high percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. In addition to these three nutrients, these fertilizers also contain other sub-nutrients such as iron, zinc, manganese, copper, boron, and magnesium. If we are to use the use of phosphoric acid in the production of complete phosphate fertilizers as an example, NPK fertilizers will undoubtedly be the first and most important of them. Global demand for this fertilizer is estimated at about 20 million tons per year.

Conclusion:

Organic phosphates are compounds that provide the energy needed for most of the reactions that take place in living cells, so phosphate-rich soils increase plant growth.

Therefore, in the process of fertilizer production, phosphoric acid is added to increase plant growth.