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Fertilizer Industry

Fertilizers

Critical for Food Production

The three main nutrients plants need are nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), also known as macronutrients. These are essential for plant growth and are often listed in that order on fertilizer packaging (N-P-K). The Travertine Process produces more sustainable phosphoric acid for fertilizers.

Use Cases for Industry

Red tractor spreading solid fertilizer in a field

DAP (diammonium phosphate) and MAP (monoammonium phosphate) are common phosphorus (P) fertilizers that provide plants with essential nitrogen and phosphorus. Both are produced by reacting ammonia with phosphoric acid but differ in their chemical composition, which affects their properties and best use cases.

A tractor applying liquid fertilizer

Superphosphate fertilizer is a high-phosphorus fertilizer used to support plant growth by promoting strong root systems, vibrant flowers, and abundant fruit or vegetable production. It is a fast-acting, water-soluble source of phosphorus that is particularly useful for soils deficient in this nutrient and is ideal for use during planting or when plants are fruiting.

A row of black and white dairy cows

Phosphoric acid is used in animal feed plants (cattle, poultry, swine, dogs/cats) as a source of highly bioavailable phosphorus to support animal health, bone development, and metabolic functions.

Phosphorus Fertilizers

Phosphorus is an essential element required for life. While the nutrient nitrogen can be created from the atmosphere by microbes in soil, phosphorus comes from minerals bound up in rocks. Once released, phosphorus is available to plants for only a short time before being immobilized in non-bioavailable forms.

While new research is laying the groundwork for more-efficient phosphorus utilization in soils (cf. Basinski et al., 2024), the nutrient phosphorus today must be mined, refined, and applied as fertilizer to support agriculture. Natural cycling of phosphorus is not sufficient to sustain the global population. Fully half of the world’s agricultural output relies on synthetic phosphorus, with an even higher proportion in Western Europe, Asia, and North America (Demay et al., 2023).