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Article: Fertilizers
- Article from:
- Dictionary of American History
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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FERTILIZERS
FERTILIZERS,
natural or artificial substances composed of the chemical elements that enhance plant growth and productivity by adding nutrients to soil, have been used since the earliest days of agriculture. The three major fertilizer elements are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Natural fertilizers include manures, compost, plant ashes, lime, gypsum, and grasses. Chemical fertilizers may be derived from natural sources or may be synthetic compounds.
Commercial chemical fertilizers have only been in general use since the nineteenth century. Early American colonists used natural fertilizers, but overuse and lack of crop rotation quickly depleted both the nutrient poor ...