Fertilisers in the soil

Most fertiliser applied on farms is spread as a solid; the nutrients in this gradually dissolve and enter the soil. However, just because a nutrient has entered the soil does not necessarily mean that it is immediately available for uptake by plants. There are many natural processes that affect nutrients once they enter the soil environment. The articles in this section illustrate some of these forces, and also show the main sources of each of the key plant nutrients.