Fertilisers businesses in Zambia

Here is where to find information and suppliers of fertilizers in Zambia. Highlighted here is also information for farmers who want to know what fertilizer is best for which crops. There are different types of fertilizers such as organic and inorganic. Companies shown here offer these products and their service to help you get a good result. Processes such as distribution systems, credit, and procurement are still evolving in most developing countries. In the Zambian context, fertilizer procurement is overseen by the government but there are many companies that stock and transport fertilizer to farmers in the country.

Fertilizers are chemical substances supplied to the crops to increase their productivity. These are used by the farmers daily to increase the crop yield. The fertilizers contain the essential nutrients required by the plants, including nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus.

A fertilizer or fertiliser 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.

All growing plants need 17 essential elements to grow to their full genetic potential. Of these 17, 14 are absorbed by plants through the soil, while the remaining three come from air and water.

Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, or NPK, are the primary nutrients in commercial fertilizers. Each of these fundamental nutrients plays a key role in plant nutrition.

Nitrogen is considered to be the most important nutrient, and plants absorb more nitrogen than any other element. Nitrogen is essential to in making sure plants are healthy as they develop and nutritious to eat after they’re harvested. That’s because nitrogen is essential in the formation of protein, and protein makes up much of the tissues of most living things.

The second, phosphorus, is linked to a plant’s ability to use and store energy, including the process of photosynthesis. It’s also needed to help plants grow and develop normally. Phosphorus in commercial fertilizers comes from phosphate rock.

Potassium is the third key nutrient of commercial fertilizers. It helps strengthen plants’ abilities to resist disease and plays an important role in increasing crop yields and overall quality. Potassium also protects the plant when the weather is cold or dry, strengthening its root system and preventing wilt. Below is a picture of corn that is potassium deficient.

Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium—provide the foundational nutrients of today’s commercial fertilizers.

The role of fertilizers is to increase yield and ensure healthy produce by supplying the right balance of nutrients to the soil. "Without fertilizers, the soil would be depleted and therefore plants would be particularly difficult to grow. They cannot survive on water alone, and nor can we.

Types of fertilizer

• Nitrogen fertilizers. Nitrate-based fertilizers are the most commonly used straight fertilizers in Zambia
• Nitrogen fertilizers with inhibitors
• Phosphorus fertilizers
• Potassium fertilizers
• Calcium, magnesium and sulphur fertilizers
• Micronutrient fertilizers
• Inhibitors