American-Eurasian J. Agric. & Environ. Sci., 15 (4): 588-594, 2015 ISSN 1818-6769 © IDOSI Publications, 2015 DOI: 10.5829/idosi.aejaes.2015.15.4.12589 Corresponding Author: Muhammad Aamir Iqbal, Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agriculture Faisalabad-38040, Pakistan. 588 A Preliminary Study on Plant Nutrients Production as Combined Fertilzers, Consumption Patterns and Future Prospects for Pakistan Muhammad Aamir Iqbal, Qaiser Maqsood, Zahoor Ahmad, 1 1 1 Abdul Manan Saleem, Sher Afzal and Bilal Ahmad 2 1 2 Department of Agronomy, 1 Institute of Horticultural Sciences, 2 Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agriculture Faisalabad-38040, Pakistan Abstract: Fertilizers are artificial substances which contain chemical elements that are required by plants for robust growth and productivity of crops. Fertilizers are applied to soils to increase the soil fertility which is the capacity of soil to supply essentail nutrients to plants for their growth and development. Modern chemical fertilizers include one or more elements, but the most important elements in plant nutrition are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which are called primary nutrients. Of primary nutrients, nitrogen is considered to be the most important one and is required by the crops in the greatest quantities. Nitrogenous fertilizers mostly used by local faarmers include urea (46% N), calcium ammonium nitrate CAN (26% N) and ammonium sulphate (21% N + 24% sulphur). Phosphatic fertilizers include single super phosphate (18% P O + 12% sulphur), 2 5 Triple superphosphate (46% P O + 1.5% sulphur), Di-ammonium phosphate (46% P O + 18% N) and 2 5 2 5 Mono-ammonium phosphate (52% P O + 11% N + 2% sulphur). Potassium is supplied to plants as K O. 2 5 2 Sulphate of potash (50% K O + 18% sulphur) and Muriate of potash (60% K O) are two important potassic 2 2 fertilizers. In Pakistan, total production of urea was over 4.2 million tons, DAP 0.44 million tons, CAN 0.34 million tons, NP 0.39 million tons and 0.10 million tons of NPK complete fertlizer in 2010-11 with 14 industerial units. Urea, DAP and SOP are used by farming community in greatest quantities, which were available at the price of Rs. 1045, 3236 and 2800, respectively during 2010-11. Sindh leads in terms of more fertlizers use among four provinces. Fertilizers use is much less in Pakistan due to high prices and poor financial condition of farmers. There is need to integrate organic sources with inorganic fertlizers to increase crops yield. Furthermore, farmers need to be aware of importance of inorganic fertilizers use in order to increase crops production and ultimately to ensure the food security of teeming millions. Key words: Fertlizer use efficiency Organic fertlizers Plant nutrition Primary nutrients Soil fertility INTRODUCTION and to ensure food security (it exists when each and every Agriculture continues to remain the backbone of at all the times at a reasonable and affordable prices) [2], Pakistan’s economy as it contributes 21.4 percent to crops yield increment is indispensable [3-7]. For this, national GDP (Gross Domestic Product), employs 45 fertilizers which are natural or artificial substances percent of the country’s labour force and contributes containing the chemical elements that improve growth and in the growth of other sectors of the economy [1]. productiveness of plants, hold the key [8]. Adequate The healthy expansion in agriculture stimulates domestic plant nutrition is one of the basic requirements to acieve demand for industrial goods and other services and the crops yield potential [9]. Fertilizers are also vital to supplying raw material to agro-based industry, increase the soil productivity which depicts the soil particularly to cotton textile industry which is the largest capacity to give the yield of a certain crop under a industry of Pakistan. To feed ever increasing population specified system of management and is measured in terms one has an access to safe, sufficient and nutritious food