Fertilisers are added to soil to make it more fertile. They supply plants with the elements that may be missing or in short supply in a form that can be used by the plants for faster growth. Fertilisers enable dairy farmers to replace nutrients that are removed from the soil when pasture is grazed by cows.
Farmers need to carefully balance fertiliser applications to optimise plant growth and reduce nutrient loss to run-off or leaching.
IMAGE: Truck spreading urea, from Good Fertiliser Practices.
