Chemical fertilizers can be a tremendous asset to businesses and the farming community by promoting plant growth, especially in hard times. Having the proper chemical fertilizers education and training is necessary, though, to make sure that all safety precautions are taken into consideration when making the choice to go chemical versus organic, and then also when the chemical fertilizer ingredients are applied.

Chemical plant fertilizers can be relatively harmless upon application, but large amounts of components of chemical fertilizers can be flammable and/or cause a potential health hazards. Making sure that your staff is properly trained to transport, handle as well as address an emergency situation is necessary if they are going to be responsible for any chemical fertilizers.

To make the most of chemical fertilizers education and training:

1. Look at organic versus chemical plant fertilizers.

2. Check out national and statewide chemical fertilizers education and training and information.

3. Take all precaution when you use or buy chemical fertilizers.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Attend training events for the use of farming chemicals

Farming associations offer a variety of training events for farmers and fertilizer employees.

I recommend: Check out the training calendar for the IFDC. They offer events having to do with marketing, using, handling and producing chemical fertilizers. Attend the Fluid Forum hosted by the Fluid Fertilizer Foundation.

Use international, national and state level chemical fertilizers resources

Check out federal and statewide information available for chemical fertilizers education and training. Follow the industry from the top regulations down to industry groups at a state level to find out both sides of the story.

I recommend: Take a look at the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Profile of the Agricultural Chemical, Pesticide and Fertilizer Industry. The South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service provides fertilizer workshops under their educational programs.The International Fertilizer Industry Association offers many training events around the world on the production and use of fertilizers.

Train in transportation when you use or buy chemical fertilizers

Chemical fertilizer ingredients can cause serious health issues to your skin, your respiratory system and many other bodily systems, so taking full precautions when handling and transporting chemical fertilizers is vital to the safety of yourself, your staff as well as to the general public.

I recommend: The Fertilizer Institute hosts conferences and events, including a transportation forum. The U.S. Department of Transportation offers training publications on the safe transport of farming chemical fertilizers and other agricultural products.

Register for chemical fertilizer classes

Many colleges that offer agricultural majors and minors have specialized classes and programs on farming chemicals and fertilizers.

I recommend: Illinois Central College offers a Fertilizer & Chemical Operations Program. The Department of Agriculture at Western Illinois University has a Fertilizers class in their course list.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Industry groups such as the Illinois Fertilizer & Chemical Association can be an excellent farming chemicals and chemical fertilizers resource or group to join. They offer networking opportunities, regulation and legislation information, newsletters as well as other continuing education opportunities on chemical fertilizers information.

Although you may want to start incorporating organic farm techniques, you probably will still rely on chemical fertilizers for your crops. Chemical plant fertilizers use a mixture of ingredients to feed your plants and help them thrive.

Before planting and throughout the growing season, the chemical fertilizer ingredients will provide the soil with important nutrients. Your end result will include larger crop yields and larger sized produce.

1. Look into farming chemicals used in production. Popular chemical fertilizer ingredients include nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and calcium.

2. Research the chemical fertilizer manufacturers currently producing chemicals for use in crop production. Since the widespread use of organic fertilizers, you may need to look a little harder for chemical fertilizers information.

3. Buy chemical fertilizers from a distributor. You may want to deal locally in order to decrease delivery surcharges if you need a large supply.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn about the components of chemical fertilizers

When you decide to farm with the use of chemicals, you should research the correct way to employ chemical fertilizers on your farm. You need to know the right types of chemicals to use on your specific crops as well as whether or not the chemicals pose a risk to human or animal health.

I recommend: Join the International Fertilizer Industry Association to access thousands of publications that deal with the use of chemical fertilizers. For an overview of the basics of chemical farming, use the publications provided by the Regional Institute Ltd.

Locate chemical fertilizer producers

You'll want to look at different chemical fertilizer manufacturers and their selection of products. Many chemical farming products use non-hazardous ingredients that provide viable nutrients for your plants.

I recommend: If you’re interested in farming chemicals, then contact the Miller Chemical & Fertilizer Corporation regarding its products. The company manufactures farming chemical fertilizers on a global level and supplies soluble plant nutrients. Another top chemical fertilizer producer, Agrium, has an informative website with chemical farming help and detailed product information.

Choose farming chemical fertilizers

After finding out the names of chemical fertilizers and production companies, you'll want to buy chemical fertilizers. You'll likely want to rely on local garden centers and home improvement stores in order to transport the chemical plant fertilizers at a low cost.

I recommend: You can go to Lowes.com in order to view their online selection and names of chemical fertilizers. Check into local pickup and delivery options as well before ordering the fertilizers. Purchase a supply of chemical fertilizers from the Greenhouse Megastore, a division of the International Greenhouse Company.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Chemical fertilizers can come in several different forms. Farmers will have the choice between controlled release, liquid and water soluble chemical plant fertilizers. For larger areas, you may want to spread controlled release farming chemicals.

While chemical fertilizers contain the nutrients needed to help grow plants, they do have some downsides that may cause problems if they are used incorrectly. One of the best ways to make sure you understand what you're getting and how to use it is having an understanding of essential vocabulary terms.

Before you lay in a stock of chemical fertilizers--whether for resale or your own use--read through the following key terms and links for a crash course in fertilizer lingo.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Chemical fertilizers

Chemical fertilizers are synthetically manufactured substances that mimic the natural nutrients found in nature and contribute to plant growth.

I recommend: Lawncare.net defines chemical fertilizers and gives information about both their positive and negative aspects.

Organic fertilizer

Organic fertilizers contain many of the same chemicals that chemical or inorganic fertilizers do. The key difference is that everything included in an organic fertilizer was once part of a plant, animal or both.

I recommend: Malcolm Beck's Garden defines what organic fertilizer is, then gives an in-depth comparison of how chemical and organic fertilizers work and what their far-reaching effects may be.

NPK

NPK refers to Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium (K), the three nutrients most critical for plant growth. Most chemical fertilizers are labeled with three numbers, such as 20-10-20, which represent the percentage of NPK components in that fertilizer.

I recommend: The University of Illinois Extension explains the NPK labeling practice and which fertilizer ratios are appropriate in what situation.

Controlled release

Controlled release or slow release fertilizers are formulated so that chemicals are released into the soil slowly over time, which reduces the chance of damaging plants due to oversaturation with chemicals.

I recommend: The Virginia Cooperative Extension explains the advantages of controlled release fertilizers and the forms in which they are typically available.

Solubility

Solubility refers to the fertilizer's ability to dissolve in water. Various fertilizer compounds will dissolve in water, and thus be either carried to the plant by said water or sometimes washed away, in the case of rain.

I recommend: The New Mexico State University College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, details the different degrees of solubility of many chemical fertilizer compounds and what this means.

Fluid vs. granular

Chemical fertilizers come in two main formulations: Fluid or granular. Fluid fertilizers are literally just that, packaged as fluids for quick application and absorption. Granular fertilizers are solid particles that may vary in size, and may or may not offer quick or controlled release of chemicals into the soil.

I recommend: Grounds Maintenance details the characteristics of fluid and granular fertilizers, along with their advantages and disadvantages.