
Mineral fertilizers are inorganic compounds that contain nutrients essential for plants in the form of various mineral salts. Fertilizers are classified as simple or complex, depending on which nutrients they contain. Simple (single-component) fertilizers contain a single nutrient element. These include phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium, and micronutrient fertilizers. Complex (multi-component) fertilizers contain two or more essential nutrient elements simultaneously. Often, individual elements are insufficient for satisfactory plant growth. On sandy soils, plants often suffer from a magnesium deficiency; on peat soils, a molybdenum deficiency; on chernozems, a manganese deficiency, and so on. The use of mineral fertilizers is one of the main techniques of intensive agriculture. With the help of fertilizers, it is possible to significantly increase yields of any crops on already cultivated land without additional costs for developing new land. This section presents mineral fertilizers classified by their main components: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, compound, and micronutrient fertilizers. They are chemical products and contain one or more nutrients in high concentrations.