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54-536: 50% of its manufacturing activities and 70% of its consolidated revenues derive from global operations. Its core holdings are fertilizers and specialty chemicals , energy, shipping and transportation. Israel Corp is a constituent of the TA-35 Index of leading shares of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange . Two of its major holdings, Israel Chemicals and Oil Refineries Ltd are also constituents of

108-410: A slaughterhouse by-product . Blood meal can be used as a livestock dietary supplement and is mainly added to supply dietary lysine for cattle, fish and poultry. Prior to use, it is sometimes mixed with molasses . Blood meal, bone meal , and other animal by-products are permitted in certified organic production as soil amendments, though they cannot be fed to organic livestock. Blood meal

162-676: A boom in using nitrogen fertilizers. In the latter half of the 20th century, increased use of nitrogen fertilizers (800% increase between 1961 and 2019) has been a crucial component of the increased productivity of conventional food systems (more than 30% per capita) as part of the so-called " Green Revolution ". The use of artificial and industrially-applied fertilizers has caused environmental consequences such as water pollution and eutrophication due to nutritional runoff; carbon and other emissions from fertilizer production and mining; and contamination and pollution of soil . Various sustainable agriculture practices can be implemented to reduce

216-406: A critical advantage over their neighbors, leading them to become dominant cultures in their respective regions (P Bellwood - 2023 ) . Egyptians, Romans, Babylonians, and early Germans are all recorded as using minerals or manure to enhance the productivity of their farms. The scientific research of plant nutrition started well before the work of German chemist Justus von Liebig although his name

270-757: A fourth number for sulfur, and uses elemental values for all values including P and K. Micronutrients are consumed in smaller quantities and are present in plant tissue on the order of parts-per-million (ppm), ranging from 0.15 to 400 ppm or less than 0.04% dry matter. These elements are often required for enzymes essential to the plant's metabolism. Because these elements enable catalysts (enzymes), their impact far exceeds their weight%age. Typical micronutrients are boron , zinc , molybdenum , iron , and manganese . These elements are provided as water-soluble salts. Iron presents special problems because it converts to insoluble (bio-unavailable) compounds at moderate soil pH and phosphate concentrations. For this reason, iron

324-428: A mixture of phosphoric acid (H 3 PO 4 ) and calcium nitrate (Ca(NO 3 ) 2 ). This mixture can be combined with a potassium fertilizer to produce a compound fertilizer with the three macronutrients N, P and K in easily dissolved form. Potash is a mixture of potassium minerals used to make potassium (chemical symbol: K) fertilizers. Potash is soluble in water, so the main effort in producing this nutrient from

378-554: A reverse effect on nutrients – fresh sawdust can consume soil nutrients as it breaks down and may lower soil pH – but these same organic texturizers (as well as compost, etc.) may increase the availability of nutrients through improved cation exchange, or through increased growth of microorganisms that in turn increase availability of certain plant nutrients. Organic fertilizers such as composts and manures may be distributed locally without going into industry production, making actual consumption more difficult to quantify. China has become

432-420: A variety of ways: through dry or pelletized or liquid application processes, using large agricultural equipment, or hand-tool methods. Historically, fertilization came from natural or organic sources: compost , animal manure , human manure , harvested minerals, crop rotations , and byproducts of human-nature industries (e.g. fish processing waste , or bloodmeal from animal slaughter ). However, starting in

486-401: Is ammonia (NH 3 ) ammonium (NH 4 ) or its solutions, including: The main straight phosphate fertilizers are the superphosphates : A mixture of single superphosphate and triple superphosphate is called double superphosphate. More than 90% of a typical superphosphate fertilizer is water-soluble. The main potassium-based straight fertilizer is muriate of potash (MOP, 95–99% KCl). It

540-419: Is a rating system describing the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in a fertilizer. NPK ratings consist of three numbers separated by dashes (e.g., 10-10-10 or 16-4-8) describing the chemical content of fertilizers. The first number represents the percentage of nitrogen in the product; the second number, P 2 O 5 ; the third, K 2 O. Fertilizers do not actually contain P 2 O 5 or K 2 O, but

594-474: Is almost invariably used to apply water-soluble straight nitrogen fertilizers and used especially for high-value crops such as fruits. Urea is the most common foliar fertilizer. Blood meal Blood meal is a dry, inert powder made from blood , used as a high- nitrogen organic fertilizer and a high protein animal feed. N = 13.25%, P = 1.0%, K = 0.6%. It is one of the highest non-synthetic sources of nitrogen. It usually comes from cattle or hogs as

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648-441: Is an advantage for mechanical application. Urea is usually spread at rates of between 40 and 300 kg/ha (35 to 270 lbs/acre) but rates vary. Smaller applications incur lower losses due to leaching. During summer, urea is often spread just before or during rain to minimize losses from volatilization (a process wherein nitrogen is lost to the atmosphere as ammonia gas). Because of the high nitrogen concentration in urea, it

702-420: Is called " fertigation ". Granulated fertilizers are more economical to ship and store, not to mention easier to apply. Urea is highly soluble in water and is therefore also very suitable for use in fertilizer solutions (in combination with ammonium nitrate: UAN), e.g., in 'foliar feed' fertilizers. For fertilizer use, granules are preferred over prills because of their narrower particle size distribution, which

756-438: Is expected, urea can be side- or top-dressed during the growing season. Top-dressing is also popular on pasture and forage crops. In cultivating sugarcane, urea is side dressed after planting and applied to each ratoon crop. Because it absorbs moisture from the atmosphere, urea is often stored in closed containers. Overdose or placing urea near seed is harmful. Foliar fertilizers are applied directly to leaves. This method

810-832: Is extremely soluble and mobile and is a major cause of eutrophication and algal bloom . Fertilizers are classified in several ways. They are classified according to whether they provide a single nutrient (e.g., K, P, or N), in which case they are classified as "straight fertilizers". "Multinutrient fertilizers" (or "complex fertilizers") provide two or more nutrients, for example, N and P. Fertilizers are also sometimes classified as inorganic (the topic of most of this article) versus organic. Inorganic fertilizers exclude carbon-containing materials except ureas . Organic fertilizers are usually (recycled) plant- or animal-derived matter. Inorganic are sometimes called synthetic fertilizers since various chemical treatments are required for their manufacture. The main nitrogen-based straight fertilizer

864-546: Is important to remove the calcium nitrate because calcium nitrate is extremely hygroscopic . " Organic fertilizers " can describe those fertilizers with a biologic origin—derived from living or formerly living materials. Organic fertilizers can also describe commercially available and frequently packaged products that strive to follow the expectations and restrictions adopted by " organic agriculture " and " environmentally friendly " gardening – related systems of food and plant production that significantly limit or strictly avoid

918-468: Is most mentioned as the "father of the fertilizer industry". Nicolas Théodore de Saussure and scientific colleagues at the time were quick to disprove the simplifications of von Liebig. Prominent scientists whom von Liebig drew were Carl Ludwig Sprenger and Hermann Hellriegel . In this field, a 'knowledge erosion' took place, partly driven by an intermingling of economics and research. John Bennet Lawes , an English entrepreneur , began experimenting on

972-512: Is often administered as a chelate complex , e.g., the EDTA or EDDHA derivatives. The micronutrient needs depend on the plant and the environment. For example, sugar beets appear to require boron , and legumes require cobalt , while environmental conditions such as heat or drought make boron less available for plants. The production of synthetic, or inorganic, fertilizers require prepared chemicals, whereas organic fertilizers are derived from

1026-450: Is required for the production of DNA ( genetic code ) and ATP , the main energy carrier in cells , as well as certain lipids ( phospholipids , the main components of the lipidic double layer of the cell membranes ). Two sets of enzymatic reactions are highly relevant to the efficiency of nitrogen-based fertilizers. The first is the hydrolysis (reaction with water) of urea ( CO(NH 2 ) 2 ). Many soil bacteria possess

1080-712: Is typically available as 0-0-60 or 0-0-62 fertilizer. These fertilizers are common. They consist of two or more nutrient components. Major two-component fertilizers provide both nitrogen and phosphorus to the plants. These are called NP fertilizers. The main NP fertilizers are About 85% of MAP and DAP fertilizers are soluble in water. NPK fertilizers are three-component fertilizers providing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. There exist two types of NPK fertilizers: compound and blends. Compound NPK fertilizers contain chemically bound ingredients, while blended NPK fertilizers are physical mixtures of single nutrient components. NPK rating

1134-457: Is typically granulated or powdered. Often solids are available as prills , a solid globule. Liquid fertilizers comprise anhydrous ammonia, aqueous solutions of ammonia, aqueous solutions of ammonium nitrate or urea. These concentrated products may be diluted with water to form a concentrated liquid fertilizer (e.g., UAN ). Advantages of liquid fertilizer are its more rapid effect and easier coverage. The addition of fertilizer to irrigation water

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1188-450: Is very important to achieve an even spread. Drilling must not occur on contact with or close to seed, due to the risk of germination damage. Urea dissolves in water for application as a spray or through irrigation systems. In grain and cotton crops, urea is often applied at the time of the last cultivation before planting. In high rainfall areas and on sandy soils (where nitrogen can be lost through leaching) and where good in-season rainfall

1242-650: The Atacama Desert in Chile and was one of the original (1830) nitrogen-rich fertilizers used. It is still mined for fertilizer. Nitrates are also produced from ammonia by the Ostwald process . Phosphate fertilizers are obtained by extraction from phosphate rock , which contains two principal phosphorus-containing minerals, fluorapatite Ca 5 (PO 4 ) 3 F (CFA) and hydroxyapatite Ca 5 (PO 4 ) 3 OH. Billions of kg of phosphate rock are mined annually, but

1296-484: The Institute of Arable Crops Research . The Birkeland–Eyde process was one of the competing industrial processes at the beginning of nitrogen-based fertilizer production. This process was used to fix atmospheric nitrogen (N 2 ) into nitric acid (HNO 3 ), one of several chemical processes called nitrogen fixation . The resultant nitric acid was then used as a source of nitrate (NO 3 ). A factory based on

1350-494: The Ostwald process . It is estimated that a third of annual global food production uses ammonia from the Haber–Bosch process and that this supports nearly half the world's population. After World War II, nitrogen production plants that had ramped up for wartime bomb manufacturing were pivoted towards agricultural uses. The use of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers has increased steadily over the last 50 years, rising almost 20-fold to

1404-554: The atmosphere , it is in a form that is unavailable to plants. Nitrogen is the most important fertilizer since nitrogen is present in proteins ( amide bonds between amino acids ), DNA ( puric and pyrimidic bases), and other components (e.g., tetrapyrrolic heme in chlorophyll ). To be nutritious to plants, nitrogen must be made available in a "fixed" form. Only some bacteria and their host plants (notably legumes ) can fix atmospheric nitrogen ( N 2 ) by converting it to ammonia ( NH 3 ). Phosphate ( PO 3− 4 )

1458-496: The 1960s. Phosphate and potash have increased in price since the 1960s, which is larger than the consumer price index. Potash is produced in Canada, Russia and Belarus, together making up over half of the world production. Potash production in Canada rose in 2017 and 2018 by 18.6%. Conservative estimates report 30 to 50% of crop yields are attributed to natural or synthetic commercial fertilizers. Fertilizer consumption has surpassed

1512-537: The 19th century, after innovations in plant nutrition , an agricultural industry developed around synthetically created agrochemical fertilizers . This transition was important in transforming the global food system , allowing for larger-scale industrial agriculture with large crop yields. Nitrogen-fixing chemical processes, such as the Haber process invented at the beginning of the 20th century, and amplified by production capacity created during World War II, led to

1566-612: The EU countries. [REDACTED] Fertilizers are commonly used for growing all crops, with application rates depending on the soil fertility, usually as measured by a soil test and according to the particular crop. Legumes, for example, fix nitrogen from the atmosphere and generally do not require nitrogen fertilizer. Fertilizers are applied to crops both as solids and as liquid. About 90% of fertilizers are applied as solids. The most widely used solid inorganic fertilizers are urea , diammonium phosphate and potassium chloride. Solid fertilizer

1620-743: The TA-35 Index. The Israel Corp was founded by the government of Israel in 1968, together with Shaul Eisenberg , who was one of the first strategic foreign investors in Israeli history, under the initiative of then Minister of Finance, Pinchas Sapir of the Israeli Labor Party , who changed the Encouragement of Capital Investments Law to attract foreign investment. The change ensured that the company's owners were exempt from taxes for 30 years and received other benefits. In 1975,

1674-629: The adverse environmental effects of fertilizer and pesticide use and environmental damage caused by industrial agriculture . Management of soil fertility has preoccupied farmers since the beginning of agriculture. Middle Eastern, Chinese, Mesoamerican, and Cultures of the Central Andes were all early adopters of agriculture. This is thought to have led to their cultures growing faster in population which allowed an exportation of culture to neighboring hunter-gatherer groups. Fertilizer use along with agriculture allowed some of these early societies

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1728-677: The amount of farmland in the United States. Data on the fertilizer consumption per hectare arable land in 2012 are published by The World Bank . The diagram below shows fertilizer consumption by the European Union (EU) countries as kilograms per hectare (pounds per acre). The total consumption of fertilizer in the EU is 15.9 million tons for 105 million hectare arable land area (or 107 million hectare arable land according to another estimate ). This figure equates to 151 kg of fertilizers consumed per ha arable land on average by

1782-521: The company to the Ofer family. In 2007, 55% of the equity of the company was held by the Ofer Brothers Group , 18% by Bank Leumi and the remainder by the public. Israel Corp's major holdings are Israel Chemicals , Oil Refineries Ltd , Tower Semiconductor , Kenon Holdings and Zim Integrated Shipping Services . The Israel Corporation was criticized in a documentary film examining

1836-527: The current rate of 100 million tonnes of nitrogen per year. The development of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers has significantly supported global population growth. It has been estimated that almost half the people on the Earth are currently fed due to synthetic nitrogen fertilizer use. The use of phosphate fertilizers has also increased from 9 million tonnes per year in 1960 to 40 million tonnes per year in 2000. Agricultural use of inorganic fertilizers in 2021

1890-491: The director general of Israel Corp, Michael Tzur, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after he was convicted on 18 counts of embezzlement, theft, fraud and bribery. He was released from prison in 1981. Shares of the company were offered to the public in 1969, 1970, 1974 and 1982, and the company was listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in 1982. After Eisenberg's death in 1998, the family sold control of

1944-441: The effects of various manures on plants growing in pots in 1837, and a year or two later the experiments were extended to crops in the field. One immediate consequence was that in 1842 he patented a manure formed by treating phosphates with sulfuric acid, and thus was the first to create the artificial manure industry. In the succeeding year, he enlisted the services of Joseph Henry Gilbert ; together they performed crop experiments at

1998-516: The elements, but the elements are not used as fertilizers. Instead, compounds containing these elements are the basis of fertilizers. The macro-nutrients are consumed in larger quantities and are present in plant tissue in quantities from 0.15% to 6.0% on a dry matter (DM) (0% moisture) basis. Plants are made up of four main elements: hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen. Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen are widely available respectively in carbon dioxide and in water. Although nitrogen makes up most of

2052-457: The enzyme urease , which catalyzes the conversion of urea to ammonium ion ( NH + 4 ) and bicarbonate ion ( HCO − 3 ). Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), such as species of Nitrosomonas , oxidize ammonia ( NH 3 ) to nitrite ( NO − 2 ), a process termed nitrification . Nitrite-oxidizing bacteria , especially Nitrobacter , oxidize nitrite ( NO − 2 ) to nitrate ( NO − 3 ), which

2106-470: The influence of big business on Israeli politics. The movie The Shakshuka System chronicles the history of the company, and how it had allegedly benefited from a "revolving-door" practice between the public and the private sector, from its extensive network of connections in Israel's political system and economic circles, and from a high degree of influence on local media to squelch potential criticism. Among

2160-407: The largest producer and consumer of nitrogen fertilizers while Africa has little reliance on nitrogen fertilizers. Agricultural and chemical minerals are very important in industrial use of fertilizers, which is valued at approximately $ 200 billion. Nitrogen has a significant impact in the global mineral use, followed by potash and phosphate. The production of nitrogen has drastically increased since

2214-409: The largest user of each nutrient. A maize crop yielding 6–9 tonnes of grain per hectare (2.5 acres) requires 31–50 kilograms (68–110 lb) of phosphate fertilizer to be applied; soybean crops require about half, 20–25 kg per hectare. Yara International is the world's largest producer of nitrogen-based fertilizers. Fertilizers enhance the growth of plants. This goal is met in two ways,

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2268-515: The major allegations presented by the film was the Bazan sale incident, in which the company's stake in the country's largest oil refinery was bought out by Israel's treasury, for what many considered to be an overvalued sum, especially since Israel Corp. was bound by an agreement to return its holding of Bazan to the state without compensation. The company had allegedly blocked the film from being broadcast on any of Israel's commercial TV channels, and it

2322-439: The materials have consumer appeal. No matter the definition nor composition, most of these products contain less-concentrated nutrients, and the nutrients are not as easily quantified. They can offer soil-building advantages as well as be appealing to those who are trying to farm / garden more "naturally". In terms of volume, peat is the most widely used packaged organic soil amendment. It is an immature form of coal and improves

2376-537: The ore involves some purification steps, e.g., to remove sodium chloride (NaCl) (common salt ). Sometimes potash is referred to as K 2 O, as a matter of convenience to those describing the potassium content. In fact, potash fertilizers are usually potassium chloride , potassium sulfate , potassium carbonate , or potassium nitrate . There are three major routes for manufacturing NPK fertilizers (named for their main ingredients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K)): Step 2. Removal of Calcium Nitrate. It

2430-629: The organic processes of plants and animals in biological processes using biochemicals. Nitrogen fertilizers are made from ammonia (NH 3 ) produced by the Haber–Bosch process . In this energy-intensive process, natural gas (CH 4 ) usually supplies the hydrogen , and the nitrogen (N 2 ) is derived from the air . This ammonia is used as a feedstock for all other nitrogen fertilizers, such as anhydrous ammonium nitrate (NH 4 NO 3 ) and urea (CO(NH 2 ) 2 ). Deposits of sodium nitrate (NaNO 3 ) ( Chilean saltpeter ) are also found in

2484-594: The process was built in Rjukan and Notodden in Norway and large hydroelectric power facilities were built. The 1910s and 1920s witnessed the rise of the Haber process and the Ostwald process . The Haber process produces ammonia (NH 3 ) from methane (CH 4 ) ( natural gas ) gas and molecular nitrogen (N 2 ) from the air. The ammonia from the Haber process is then partially converted into nitric acid (HNO 3 ) in

2538-410: The size and quality of the remaining ore is decreasing. These minerals are converted into water-soluble phosphate salts by treatment with acids . The large production of sulfuric acid is primarily motivated by this application. In the nitrophosphate process or Odda process (invented in 1927), phosphate rock with up to a 20% phosphorus (P) content is dissolved with nitric acid (HNO 3 ) to produce

2592-442: The slaughter of animals – bloodmeal , bone meal , feather meal , hides, hoofs, and horns all are typical components. Organically derived materials available to industry such as sewage sludge may not be acceptable components of organic farming and gardening, because of factors ranging from residual contaminants to public perception. On the other hand, marketed "organic fertilizers" may include, and promote, processed organics because

2646-456: The soil by aeration and absorbing water but confers no nutritional value to the plants. It is therefore not a fertilizer as defined in the beginning of the article, but rather an amendment. Coir , (derived from coconut husks), bark, and sawdust when added to soil all act similarly (but not identically) to peat and are also considered organic soil amendments – or texturizers – because of their limited nutritive inputs. Some organic additives can have

2700-499: The system is a conventional shorthand for the amount of the phosphorus (P) or potassium (K) in a fertilizer. A 50-pound (23 kg) bag of fertilizer labeled 16-4-8 contains 8 lb (3.6 kg) of nitrogen (16% of the 50 pounds), an amount of phosphorus equivalent to that in 2 pounds of P 2 O 5 (4% of 50 pounds), and 4 pounds of K 2 O (8% of 50 pounds). Most fertilizers are labeled according to this N-P-K convention, although Australian convention, following an N-P-K-S system, adds

2754-407: The traditional one being additives that provide nutrients. The second mode by which some fertilizers act is to enhance the effectiveness of the soil by modifying its water retention and aeration. This article, like many on fertilizers, emphasizes the nutritional aspect. Fertilizers typically provide, in varying proportions : The nutrients required for healthy plant life are classified according to

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2808-568: The use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. The "organic fertilizer" products typically contain both some organic materials as well as acceptable additives such as nutritive rock powders, ground seashells (crab, oyster, etc.), other prepared products such as seed meal or kelp, and cultivated microorganisms and derivatives. Fertilizers of an organic origin (the first definition) include animal wastes , plant wastes from agriculture, seaweed , compost , and treated sewage sludge ( biosolids ). Beyond manures, animal sources can include products from

2862-496: Was 195 million tonnes of nutrients, of which 56% was nitrogen. Asia represented 53% of the world's total agricultural use of inorganic fertilizers in 2021, followed by the Americas (29%), Europe (12%), Africa (4%) and Oceania (2%). This ranking of the regions is the same for all nutrients. The main users of inorganic fertilizers are, in descending order, China, India, Brazil, and the United States of America (see Table 15), with China

2916-686: Was finally broadcast on Channel One. Fertilizers A fertilizer ( American English ) or fertiliser ( British English ) is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients . Fertilizers may be distinct from liming materials or other non-nutrient soil amendments . Many sources of fertilizer exist, both natural and industrially produced. For most modern agricultural practices, fertilization focuses on three main macro nutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) with occasional addition of supplements like rock flour for micronutrients. Farmers apply these fertilizers in

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