USE OF FERTILISERS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 20 January 1939, Page 9

USE OF FERTILISERS

FIRST WORLD CONGRESS GREAT SCOPE OF WORK OPINIONS FROM 10 COUNTRIES The first World’s Congress, held in Rome from 3rd to 6th October, under the auspices of the International Federation of Technical Agriculturists, was attended by delegates representative of no fewer than 48 different countries.

President of the congress was his Excellency the Baron Giacomo Acerbo of Italy, and vice-presidents were elected from France, Jugoslavia, Great Britain, United States of America. Belgium and The Netherlands. Being the first congress of its kind, it was inevitable that much of the discussion was exploratory, having as its object research into the question of how best the agricultural producers of the world could be served by the producers and distributors of fertilisers. Most of the reports received and presented, for the same reason, were factual rather than constructive, and described existing conditions in the reporting countries. From this particular viewpoint the congress was an outstanding success, and subsequent meetings which, it was resolved, should take place every three years, should show results of great’ practical value. The work of the congress was divided into four sections dealing respectively with the following aspects of the problem: (1) Raw materials and the production of fertilisers; (2) the technique of fertilisation; (3) the economics of fertilisers; (4) education and propaganda The organisation of the conference has oeen proceeding for the last 18 months, and numerous national reports had been submitted. MIXED FERTILISERS The general communications, general reports, and national reports which have just been received indicate the great scope of the work. Of particular interest were the statistical tables indicating the great difference in technique from country to country. These differences concern the total quantities of fertiliser applied per acre, the types and quantities of fertilisers used, and the trend of fertiliser practice in relation to the use of mixed fertilisers. Belgium, one of the most advanced of all countries in the use of fertilisers, of its total of over one million tons of fertilised per annum, used 5.4 per cent, in the form of compound fertilisers. At the other end of the scale lies Greece, where 77 per cent, of the total is applied in mixtures. The United States, among the geratest of all countries in total consumption, with a 1937 total of near 7 million tons, applied 67 per cent, in the form of mixtures. Germany is probably the greatest single consumer of fertilisers, and of this 22 per cent, is used in the mixed form. VARYING TYPES USED Surveying the world as a- whole, a marked trend is noted in the types of fertiliser used. The situation is best expressed by figures from the United States. In 1925 the average of all tLe complete fertilisers sold in that country had a composition of 2.6 per cent, nitrogen, 9.3 per cent, phosphoric acid, and

4.1 per cent, potash. In 1936 the average percentage composition was 3.7, 9.3, 5.5 It is to be noted that the increase in the percentages of nitrogen and potash have not been obtained at the cost of the phosphoric acid, but rather by the use of more concentrated constituents. Germany shows the tendency toward greater concentration in an even more marked degree; for most annual crops, spring sown, a 7,7, 14 mixture is used. For autumn sown cereals, 3, 10. 15 is the favoured formula. For horticultural I use a mixture of the furmula *l6, 16, 20 I is favoured. VARIATION OF QUANTITIES An equal divergence of opinion exists on the question of the quantity of 1 fertiliser per acre. Belgium again ranks I high in this regard, and the official recommendations for the main crops range from 500 to 800 pounds per acre for various cereals and for pastures, from 1000 to 1800 pounds for potatoes and field vegetables, and from 1000 to 1200 pounds for orchards An unexpected variety of opinions came in reply to the question of the relative advantages of mixed fertilisers versus single ingredients. The general opinion from the countries of more scientific agriculture favoured the single ingredient system, while from the more extensive countries the mixture received more support. The best summary of the question came from Spain, which said: The commercial compound fertiliser is an advantage for the less enlightened farmer, but something of a hindrance for the more enlightened farmer, who should compound and apply his fertilisers in a ratiqpal manner. Germany expressed the opinion that the mixed fertiliser was more valuable in special cases where the exact soil conditions and crop requirements are known.