2.

ARTIFICIAL FERTILISERS
Artificial Fertilisers are processed minerals that have undergone chemical treatment to produce refined
Water-Soluble Salts. Chemical salt fertilisers content is usually expressed as: N.P.K and added
trace elements, as water-soluble salts.
What is N.P.K?
N

Means Nitrogen found in Sulphate of Ammonia. Formed by treating ammonia waste products
from gasworks with sulphuric acid.

Means Phosphate found in Superphosphate. Formed by treating rock phosphate with sulphuric
acid to form water-soluble monocalcium phosphate, plus gypsum, a by-product.

Potassium found in Muriate of Potash. Formed by treating minerals to obtain forms of soluble
potassium salts such as potassium chloride (muriate of potash), and potassium sulphate (sulphate
of potash).

Even though these chemical salt fertilisers are water-soluble, the nutrients are not always available for
the uptake by plants, and therefore, can remain as unused salts in the soil.
Chemical fertilisers do provide for effective improved plant growth.
The continued and over-use of such fertilisers have effects such as:
Damaging the Biomass of the soil, thus inhibiting the biological activity affecting long-term soil
fertility and soil structure.
Contamination of waterways and groundwater occurs as the unused chemical salts are washed
off and/or leached from the soils.
Soil toxicity, that is, too ACID or too ALKALINE. When nutrient elements become out of balance
due to a build-up of certain unused chemical salts.

e.g. a build up of unused sulphur salts can create an interaction between other nutrient elements to
cause phosphorus to be locked-up in the soil. While at the same time developing an excessive availability
of trace elements, together with the sulphur salts causing soil to become too acid (pH 5.5 or less).

Fertilisers and Soil

Conditioners
Any type of product that is applied to the soil to create better conditions for improved
nutrient uptake, that is with the intention to increase soil fertility, would be classified as a FERTILISER.

TYPES OF FERTILISERS
1. NATURAL FERTILISERS: can be ORGANIC or MINERAL
Natural fertilisers are products (within their natural state) containing nutrients that have or will,
undergo a biological process to convert nutrients into an available form that can be readily
released from the soil for uptake (absorption) by plants as they require.
Natural fertilisers sustain biological activity, within the Biomass of the soil, for the maintenance of
long-term soil fertility.
The complexity of nutrients contained in a natural fertiliser is dependent on the source of material
it was originally made up of. The more diverse the range of materials used (organic or mineral),
the more complete the fertiliser will be in nutrient content.
a) ORGANIC FERTILISER
Organic Fertiliser is a product derived from plant and/or animal tissue that has undergone decomposition,
or a process of composting. Organic products include:

In order to maintain long-term soil health and fertility, we should AVOID interfering with the use of
chemical based products which upset the balance of nature.
Likewise, any icide chemical products such as pesticide, herbicide etc are designed to kill.
SO AVOID THESE.

SUPPORT NATURE BE NATURAL

Humus/Compost:

Natural process of composting organic materials.

Animal Manures:

Digestion of plant material in the gut of an animal.

Vermiculture/
Worm-Castings:

Digestion of organic material through the gizzard of a worm.

Liquid Fertiliser:

Extraction of nutrients by soaking weeds and other green waste in water.

Seaweed Extract:

Extraction of nutrients from seaweed by drying and/or soaking in water.

Blood and Bone:

Animal bone and tissue processed by heat treatment and grinding.

Wood Ash:

Wood, plant material processed by fire.

Balanced Nutrient Content is the key to achieving maximum soil fertility for sustainable plant nutrition
when applying any type of ORGANIC FERTILISER to the soil.
All purpose Organic Fertilisers balanced in nutrient content can be:
Vermiculture/worm-castings.
Well-made composts (containing animal manures).
Commercially made organic fertilisers (available in bags in pellet form). Seaweed extract.
All purpose Organic Fertilisers are available commercially at various garden
and agricultural outlets.
Other organic products like raw manures, blood & bone and wood ash are
not balanced in nutrients but, are good for general purpose additives in
small amounts directly to the compost. Use only sparingly if applied directly
to the soil.

Earth care

Dubbo Printing Works

Earth care

b) MINERAL FERTILISER:

Granite and Basalt Dusts: are granite and basalt rocks finely ground to a dust.

Mineral Fertiliser is a product (in its natural state) derived from the breaking down of rocks.
These vary in nutrient content.

Dusts contain a complexity of nutrient ions (salts) and can be high in

potash. The release of nutrients from the moderately water-soluble
dusts is accelerated in soils that are biologically active and contain a
degree of organic matter and humus.

Most products have a direct effect on pH of the soil, due to the interaction that occurs between
mineral elements.
It is very important to recognise the soils existing level of pH, prior to applying any form of mineral
fertiliser.
To effectively extract nutrients from mineral fertilisers, a soil needs to be slightly acid (6.2pH)
with a healthy structure and be biologically active.
Even though mineral fertilisers may not be readily water-soluble, it is the process of biological
activity that allows nutrient ions to be slowly released in an available form for plant uptake.

Mineral Fertiliser products include:

Rock Phosphate:

Is ground mineral rock of tricalcium phosphate, containing almost

insoluble amounts phosphorus, calcium, iron and aluminium.
For rock phosphate to be effective, sulphur must be present in equal
quantities. To activate the conversion of insoluble rock phosphate to
an available form of phosphorus to plants, it requires a very low soil
pH level. It must be aided by the activity of soil-borne bacteria
thio-bacilli, which is dependent on a source of sulphur.

Dolomite:

Occurs naturally as a balanced pure compound containing calcium

carbonate and magnesium carbonate. It effectively raises the pH of
the soil while at the same time maintains a nutrient balance.
Good dolomite is sold as either a carbonate percentage of 59% calcium
carbonate and 39% magnesium carbonate or,
an oxide percentage as approximately 31% CaO : 20% MgO.

Agricultural Lime:

Is finely ground limestone containing calcium carbonate.

Lime will raise the soil pH (make it less acid).
The sole and continual use of lime can cause interactions with other
mineral elements causing nutrient elements to become out of balance
in the soil. Lime also causes a rapid release of nitrogen from the soil
and composts.

Wood ash (organic) contains potassium, phosphorous and small

amounts of trace elements.
Both flue dust and wood ash are good forms of potassium but
applied to the soil on their own can cause nutrients to become out of
balance and raise soil pH. Both products are best applied in small
portions to the making of compost to achieve a safe and balanced
release of nutrients for plant uptake.

Commercial products such as ALROC mineral fertilisers are available at various distribution and
agricultural outlets.
Sulphur:

Will lower the level of soil pH (make it more acid).

The sole application of sulphur can cause nutrients to become
out of balance and the soil to become toxic.

Gypsum:

Type1 - can be a bi-product formed during the treatment of rock

phosphate when making superphosphates.
Type 2 - a form of naturally mined gypsum (now more common).

Gypsum contains moderately water-soluble nutrient ions of sulphur and calcium at a relatively
neutral pH level in itself.
Gypsum is commonly used to flocculate (break-up) clay particles. It effectively lowers the soil pH as
the sulphur will act to stimulate the release of trace elements previously locked-up, while at the
same time providing calcium in safe amounts without affecting soil alkalinity and maintaining
nutrient balance.
This form of calcium within gypsum does not release nitrogen from the soil or compost.
It is very important to recognise the pH of the soil prior to applying any form of mineral product.
Soil pH Test Kits are available from garden and agricultural outlets.
If a soil is too alkaline (pH 7.5 or more) it can be as infertile (or toxic) as a soil that is too
acid (pH 5.5 or less).
Where a change in soil pH is required (refer to Plant Nutrition), the preferred and safe options are for
the use of:
Dolomite: to make soil more alkaline
Gypsum:

to make soil more acid

pH

pH

Is reclaimed waste mineral potash by removal of potassium from clay

material in cement works. It contains potassium.

The combination of both granite and basalt rock dust is a good balanced all-purpose fertiliser, if
managed correctly. The release of nutrients is slow, but as soil fertility improves and the soil
becomes more biologically active then, the release of nutrients is greatly accelerated. Therefore,
it is important to keep monitoring soil pH so as to adjust the nutrient mix when required, to avoid
over supply of any one mineral element, thereby maintaining soil fertility.

Flue Dust:

The dust of granite rocks contain high levels of potassium, though release of potassium is very
slow, it will raise the pH of the soil.

Note: Casuarina leaves (most pine needles) finely chopped up and added to the soil will also
lower the soil pH.
NATURAL FERTILISERS (organic and/or mineral) are best applied in order to maintain long-term
soil health and structure, thereby achieving long term soil fertility.