Ammonium sulfate is not just a fertilizer used in agriculture.
It is a an industrial component that is also used as a flocculant, a substance that promotes flocculation, that is, the association or aggregation of suspended solids.
The flocculation process involves destabilizing colloidal particles by adding a flocculant.
It also has all these industrial applications:
- Acid solution cleaner.
- Glyphosate enhancer.
- Fire retardant.
- Nutritional supplement.
- Protein purification by fractional precipitation.
WHAT IS AMMONIUM SULPHATE?
Ammonium sulfate is a salt formed by the reaction between ammonia and sulfuric acid.It can be found on sale in the form of white or beige crystals or granules.
Its contents are as follows:
- 21% nitrogen
- 60% sulfur
It is a the most accessible source of low concentration nitrogen, it is widely used in agriculture and is also an important component in the production of balanced fertilizer formulas.
It is widely applied directly to the soil as a single product
and is an excellent source of fertilizer
in crops that extract large amounts of sulfur from the soil,
such as forage crops, vegetables (cruciferous vegetables, onions and garlic), grains (wheat and barley) and grains (corn, sorghum and sugarcane), among others.
Mainly contains ammonium (NH
+4) and sulfate (SO
4-2), and it is an acidic pH product that is recommended for application to calcareous and alkaline soils due to its strong acidifying effect.
Its use as a fertilizer stems from the fact that the need for sulfur is closely related to the amount of nitrogen available to the plant. Thus, ammonium sulfate ensures a balanced supply of both nutrients.
In traditional agriculture it is still widely used, especially for less profitable crops and as an important source of nitrogen in combination with sulfur, a precursor to its absorption.
Therefore, it is not an organic fertilizer, since it is obtained through synthetic transformations and, as such, does not fall under European rules of organic farming.
In the field it is known as good fertilizer used in both extensive and intensive cropping with double action, since it adds two macronutrients to its sulfur content, which improves the physical and chemical condition of the soil.
Ammonium sulfate is very good source of this element, easy to mix and use to optimize the dose and application to the soil for agricultural crops.
The ammonium form is usually quickly absorbed by crops, although in large quantities it can become phytotoxic to the plant.
In fact, in hydroponics its use is limited to a maximum of 15-20% of the total nitrogen content, the rest being 80-85% nitrogen.
Inorganic soil sulfur is absorbed by plants mainly in the form of anion sulfate and, due to its negative charge, is not attracted by soil clays and inorganic colloids;
Sulfur remains in the soil solution, moving with the flow of water, and therefore is easily leached
. In some soils, leaching causes sulfur to accumulate in the subsurface, making it suitable for growing deep-rooted crops.
The risk of leaching is higher in sandy soils than in clay soils.
Soils with low organic matter (<2%) are usually deficient in sulfur, and every one percent of organic matter releases approximately 6 kg of it per hectare per year.
In plants, nitrogen and sulfur have a very close relationship in their nutritional roles.
This is due to the fact that both nutrients are part of 5 proteins (amino acids) and are associated with the formation of chlorophyll (participates in the process of photosynthesis).
RECEIPT PROCESS
The production of ammonium sulfate as an industrial product consists of conversion of ammonia gas (NH3), mixed with steam to create saturation, and the introduction of sulfuric acid.
This controlled reaction results in a mixture of sulfur (SO4) and ammonium (NH4), which, because it is exposed to acid, adds another hydrogen (H) to the formulation.
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
All the nitrogen in this fertilizer is presented in ammonia form.
Although it is readily absorbed by the plant, it should preferably be absorbed in its nitrogenous form.
Its behavior in soil is good, and because it has a positive charge, it is fixed in the clay-humus complex and does not leach into deep fields as much (as the nitrogen form does).
Presence nitrifying microorganisms (among others, nitrobacter and nitrosomonas) facilitates its conversion to nitrogen.
Since he has acid reaction, it is used to acidify soils with an alkaline pH and high content of insoluble calcium and magnesium.
In addition, sulfur, which is part of the fertilizer, improves the availability of nitrogen and has a synergistic effect in its absorption.
TYPES OF AMMONIUM SULPHATE
- Powdered ammonium sulfate: it is available in solid form but as an easily soluble powder.
It is used very often and is suitable for preparing liquid solutions for fertilization.
Since it is highly soluble, this fertilizer is always should be applied as a top dressing, i.e. when we have already planted crops. - Liquid ammonium sulfate: it is highly soluble, but less soluble than other fertilizers such as ammonium nitrate.
There are times when farmers prefer to work with already soluble liquid ammonium sulfate mixtures.
The concentrated formula should be diluted to 40% of the fertilizer to obtain a nitrogen concentration of 8,4% by weight and a sulfur concentration (SO3) 24% by mass - Granular ammonium sulfate: its main characteristic is that it dissolves slowly and is used for pre-planting treatment or in tree crops.
When water cannot be added by fertilization (period of precipitation or puddling).
It contains as many nutrients as any other formula and its contribution to crops such as almonds, olives or fruit trees is quite common, especially during bud break and new leaf development.
BENEFITS FOR AGRICULTURAL CROPS
- It is a cheap source of nutrients.
- It allows you to receive more homogeneous solid mixtures with other granular products.
- He is very universal in application, both by time (spring, summer, etc.) and by soil type.
- He contributes rapid growth, increasing productivity and profitability.
- He is very environmentally friendly, protects the aquifer environment and reduces losses due to nitrate leaching.
- He raises phosphorus availability and increases the availability of microelements.
- It especially improves soils with an alkaline pH or calcareous soils.
AMMONIUM SULPHATE AS FERTILIZER
- When dosed correctly, it provides optimal source of nutrients substances that are very easy to mix and use.
- In hydroponic crops its use limited maximum 15-20% of the total proportion of nitrogen, the rest being nitrous nitrogen.
- It is obtained by synthetic transformations and, as such, does not fall under European organic farming regulations.
- Ammonium form quickly absorbed by every crop, although in large quantities it can become phytotoxic to the plant.
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