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Agriculture vocabulary · Plant Nutrition and Fertilizers

NPK

Meaning in agriculture, with examples

/ˌen piː ˈkeɪ/abbreviationCore term

In agriculture, NPK means: Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), the three main plant nutrients; also the three numbers on a fertilizer bag that show how much of each it contains.

In Turkish: NPK, azot-fosfor-potasyum, kompoze gübre

How it is used

Farmers and dealers refer to a fertilizer by its NPK ratio, such as 15-15-15 or 20-20-0. On most labels the numbers are percentages of N, P2O5 and K2O by weight. 'NPK fertilizer' means a compound fertilizer containing all three.

Example sentences

  1. We apply 25 kilograms per decare of 15-15-15 NPK at sowing.

  2. The soil test shows that you don't need a full NPK fertilizer this year.

Common collocations

  • NPK fertilizer
  • NPK ratio
  • NPK 15-15-15
  • NPK requirements
  • fertilizerA natural or manufactured substance added to soil or plants to supply nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and increase growth.
  • micronutrientA nutrient that plants need only in very small amounts but cannot grow normally without, such as iron, zinc, manganese, copper, boron and molybdenum.
  • soil analysisA laboratory test of soil samples that measures nutrients, pH, organic matter, lime, salinity and texture, used as the basis for fertilizer recommendations.
  • nutrient deficiencyA condition in which a plant does not get enough of a particular nutrient, shown by symptoms such as yellow leaves, poor growth or low yield.
  • top-dressTo spread fertilizer on the surface of a field where a crop is already growing, usually nitrogen in spring for cereals.

More terms: Plant Nutrition and Fertilizers

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