Common Fertilizers Used in Virginia: Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium
ID
SPES-199NP
Introduction
Macro elements are used in large quantities by plants for optimal growth. Ensuring an adequate nutrient supply over the growing season and applying it at proper times with correct rates is imperative for efficient fertilizer use. For fertilizers, fully understanding what nutrient sources are available and some basic fertilizer characteristics is imperative for using nutrients economically in Virginia production systems. For liquid materials, understanding the weight per gallon is needed in conjunction with fertilizer nutrient labeling (i.e. % N-P2O5-K2O) to calculate total nutrient applied. While not substantial, temperature can also impact liquid fertilizer density, which slightly changes application rates (Table 1). This publication will summarize commonly used fertilizers in Virginia for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) (Table 2). Several fertilizer products have a range for nutrient concentrations, as raw products may vary. When possible, the most common form used in Virginia is presented. However, note that your local fertilizer dealers’ product may vary slightly, and their label should be used instead of this document.
| Material Supplying Nitrogen Fertilizer | Nitrogen (%N) | Density Temperature (°F) | Density (lbs./gallon) | Nitrogen (lbs. N/gallon) | Salt Out Temperature (°F) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urea-ammonium nitrate | 28 | 30 | 10.76 | 3.01 | 1 |
| 50 | 10.70 | 3.00 | |||
| 60 | 10.67 | 2.99 | |||
| 70 | 10.64 | 2.98 | |||
| 80 | 10.61 | 2.97 | |||
| 90 | 10.58 | 2.96 | |||
| Urea-ammonium nitrate | 30 | 30 | 10.99 | 3.30 | 14 |
| 50 | 10.93 | 3.28 | |||
| 60 | 10.90 | 3.27 | |||
| 70 | 10.87 | 3.26 | |||
| 80 | 10.84 | 3.25 | |||
| 90 | 10.81 | 3.24 | |||
| Urea-ammonium nitrate | 32 | 30 | 11.14 | 3.56 | 28 |
| 50 | 11.09 | 3.55 | |||
| 60 | 11.05 | 3.54 | |||
| 70 | 11.02 | 3.53 | |||
| 80 | 10.99 | 3.52 | |||
| 90 | 10.95 | 3.50 |
| Material Supplying | Synonyms | Chemical Formula | Nitrogen (%N) | Phosphate (%P2O5) | Potash (%K2O) | Other Nutrients | Physical State | Weight per gallon for liquids (lbs./gal.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrogen | ||||||||
| Ammonium nitrate | --- | NH4NO3 | 33-34 | 0 | 0 | --- | solid | --- |
| Ammonium sulfate | AMS | (NH4)2SO4 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 24% S | solid | --- |
| Ammonium sulfate, liquid | --- | (NH4)2SO4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 9% S | liquid, salt out at 15°F | 10.14 |
| Ammonium thiosulfate | --- | (NH4)2S2O3 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 26% S | liquid, salt out at 20°F | 11.18 |
| Anhydrous ammonia | --- | NH3 | 82 | 0 | 0 | --- | gas | 5.15 |
| Calcium nitrate | Lime nitrate, nitrocalcite, lime saltpeter, Norwegian saltpeter | Ca(NO3)2 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 21% Ca | solid | --- |
| Sodium nitrate | Chilean saltpeter, Chilean nitrate | NaNO3 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 26% Na | solid | --- |
| Urea | Carbamide | CO(NH2)2 | 45-46 | 0 | 0 | --- | solid | --- |
| Urea-ammonium nitrate | Liquid nitrogen, UAN28 | CO(NH2)2·NH4NO3 | 28 | 0 | 0 | --- | liquid, salt out at 1°F | 10.66 |
| Urea-ammonium nitrate | Liquid nitrogen, UAN30 | CO(NH2)2·NH4NO3 | 30 | 0 | 0 | --- | liquid, salt out at 14°F | 10.88 |
| Urea-ammonium nitrate | Liquid nitrogen, UAN32 | CO(NH2)2·NH4NO3 | 32 | 0 | 0 | --- | liquid, salt out at 28°F | 11.06 |
| Urea-ammonium nitrate, sulfur blend | UANS | Various | 24 | 0 | 0 | 3% S | liquid | 10.68 |
| Urea-ammonium nitrate, sulfur blend | UANS | Various | 28 | 0 | 0 | 5% S | liquid, salt out at 10°F | 10.76 |
| Phosphorus | ||||||||
| Ammonium polyphosphate | APP, Polyphosphate | [NH4PO3]n(OH)2 | 10 | 34 | 0 | 1.4% S | liquid, salt out at -10°F | 11.63 |
| Ammonium polyphosphate | APP, Polyphosphate | [NH4PO3]n(OH)2 | 11 | 37 | 0 | 1.6% S | liquid, salt out at <32°F | 11.99 |
| Bone, ground and raw | Raw bone meal | --- | 4-6 | 16-27 | 0 | --- | solid | --- |
| Bone, steamed meal | Bone flour meal | --- | 2 | 20-28 | 0 | --- | solid | --- |
| Diammonium phosphate | DAP | (NH4)2HPO4 | 18 | 46 | 0 | --- | solid | --- |
| Ground rock phosphate | Phosphorite, mineral phosphate | [Ca5(PO4,CO3)3(F,OH)] | 0 | 5-48 | 0 | --- | solid | --- |
| Monoammonium phosphate | MAP | NH4H2PO4 | 11 | 52 | 0 | --- | solid | --- |
| Poultry litter | Litter, chicken litter | --- | 2-4 | 2-4 | 2 | 0.4% S | solid | --- |
| Superphosphate, single | SSP, ordinary supersphosphate, normal superphosphate | Ca(H2PO4)2·H2O | 0 | 16-20 | 0 | 18-21% Ca; 11-21% S | solid | --- |
| Superphosphate, triple | TSP | Ca(H2PO4)2·H2O | 0 | 44-48 | 0 | 13-15% Ca | solid | --- |
| Potassium | ||||||||
| Polyhalite | --- | K2SO4·MgSO4·2CaSO4· 2H2O | 0 | 0 | 14 | 19% S, 4% Mg, 12% Ca | solid | --- |
| Potassium chloride | Muriate of potash, KCl | KCl | 0 | 0 | 60 | 48% Cl | solid | --- |
| Potassium magnesium sulfate | Langbeinite, Sul-Po- Mag, K-Mag | K2SO4·2MgSO4 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 11% Mg, 22% S, <2.5% Cl | solid | --- |
| Potassium nitrate | Nitrate of potash, NOP, saltpeter | KNO3 | 13 | 0 | 44 | --- | solid | --- |
| Potassium orthophosphate | Potassium phosphate solution | --- | 0 | 20 | 20 | --- | Liquid, salt out at 10°F | 12.04 |
| Potassium sulfate | Sulfate of potash, SOP | K2SO4 | 0 | 0 | 48-54 | 17-20% S, <2.5% Cl | solid | --- |
| Potassium thiosulfate | KTS | K2S2O3 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 17% S | liquid, salt out at <15°F | 12.18 |
References
AdvanSix. 2019. “Liquid Fertilizer Formulation Guide.” Last Accessed April 2, 2020. https://www.advansix.com/ammoniumsulfate/?document=liquid-fertilizer-formulation-guide-203-kb&download=1
Alley, M.M. 2000. “Part VIII: Fertilizers.” Agronomy Handbook. Publication 424-100. Virginia Cooperative Extension, Blacksburg.
Binford, G.D. 2006. “Chapter 8: Commercial Fertilizers.” The Mid-Atlantic Nutrient Management Handbook. Gowariker, V. 2009. “The Fertilizer Encyclopedia.” John Wiley & Son, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. Havlin, J.L.,
J.D. Beaton, S.L. Tisdale, and W.L. Nelson. 1999. “Soil Fertility and Fertilizers, 6th Edition.” Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
International Plant Nutrition Institute. 2019. “Nutrient Source Specifics.” Last Accessed April 3, 2020. http://www.ipni.net/specifics-en
Liquid Products, LLC. 2020. “Agriculture – Liquid Nutrients.” Last Accessed April 3, 2020.
https://liquidproducts.net/agriculture/liquid-nutrients/
Leikam, D.F. 2020. “Fluid Fertilizer Density.” Fluid Fertilizer Foundation. Last Accessed April 3, 2020. https://fluidfertilizer.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Fluid-Fertilizer-Density-1.pdf
Mosaic. 2020. “Single Superphosphate.” Last Accessed April 3, 2020. https://www.cropnutrition.com/resource-library/single-superphosphate
Nutrien. 2018. “Ammonium Polyphosphate.” Last Accessed April 3, 2020.
https://www.nutrien.com/sites/default/files/products/datasheet/Nutrien_SS_FER_POLY11.pdf
Publication MAWP-0602. Last Accessed April 3, 2020. https://extension.psu.edu/programs/nutrient-management/educational/nutrient-management-general/mid-atlantic-nutrient-management-handbook
Reiter, M.S. and C.E. Ervin. 2020. “Fertilizer: The Many Forms You Can Use.” Publication SPES-187NP. Virginia Cooperative Extension, Blacksburg.
Sirius Minerals, LTD. 2019. “POLY4 Granular Product Specification Sheet.” Last Accessed April 2, 2020. https://www.poly4.com/site/assets/files/1224/granular_specifcation_sheet_-_october_19.pdf
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank Taylor Clarke, Mecklenburg County Extension, and Scott Reiter, Prince George County Extension, for their guidance on fertilizer products and document review. Funding for this work was provided in part by the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station and the Hatch program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture.
Virginia Cooperative Extension materials are available for public use, reprint, or citation without further permission, provided the use includes credit to the author and to Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, and Virginia State University.
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Publication Date
September 18, 2026
