Topics Concepts Citizen science Teacher PLD Glossary

Fertiliser

Truck spreading urea on pasture.

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.

Glossary

Rights: Bay of Plenty Regional Council, MPI and Ballance Agri-Nutrients

Published: 26 March 2021Size: 2.24 MB

Referencing Hub media

Explore related content

Appears in Related resources

Interactive

The nitrogen cycle and dairy farming

Nitrogen undergoes a number of transformations as it moves between the atmosphere, the land and living things. This simplified nitrogen ...

Farming and environmental pollution

Article

Farming and environmental pollution

New Zealand has had a reputation for being ‘clean and green’ – a country of environmental beauty. Compared to many ...

Soil, farming and science – introduction

Article

Soil, farming and science – introduction

What do soil, farming and science have to do with each other? Actually, they are inextricably related. For centuries, humans ...

Dairy farming and the nitrogen cycle

Article

Dairy farming and the nitrogen cycle

Understanding the nitrogen cycle – the transformations that nitrogen undergoes as it moves between the atmosphere, the land and living ...

Your Email address

See our newsletters here.

News Events About Contact us Privacy Copyright Help

The Science Learning Hub Pokapū Akoranga Pūtaiao is funded through the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's Science in Society Initiative.

Science Learning Hub Pokapū Akoranga Pūtaiao © 2007-2025 The University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato