Common misconceptions about DAP fertiliser

1. CommonmisconceptionsaboutDAPfertiliser HerearesomemisconceptionsaboutDAPfertilisers. End World Hunger: Getting the right fertiliser into the hands of farmers is hard enough,butfertiliseralonecannotgrowmorefood.DAPfertilisersarejustonepartofa largersolution,suchasteachingfarmersthelatesttechnologyorhelpingthemsell(and eat)more nutritious food. Fertilizer is not natural (or "organic") and runs out quickly: A popular fertiliser, urea consists of nitrogen, which makes up 70% of the earth's atmosphere. The two other “main”nutrientsusedinDAPfertilisers,phosphorus,andpotassium,occurnaturallyand are mined in large deposits around the world. If we use these nutrients sustainably, we can make them last long enough to develop 'new' DAP fertilisers that drastically reduce ourconsumption for quite sometime. Fertiliser over/under is not a problem: DAP fertilisers are often over-utilized or under-utilised,dependingonlocation,culture,andtheuseofmoderntechnology. Insteadofapplyingfertiliserdeeply,farmersapplyureatothepaddyfields,increasing inputbyup to40%.Farmers maynotbe ableto afford enoughfertiliser,or theymay find it ineffective, so they rarely use it. Fertilizer is not strictly necessary to feed the world: According to Vaclav Smil, chemicalDAPfertiliserskeep40%oftheworld'spopulationalive.Asmentionedearlier, DAP fertilisers are part of a larger solution that includes "organic" soil conditioners, properwatering, and good-qualityseeds. Easyaccesstofertiliser:75%oftheworld'spoorestarefarmersandliveonlessthan $1.50 a day. A 50 kg fertiliser bag can be very expensive with such a low income. In developedcountries,banks offerfarmersloansthatcanberepaidafterharvest.Butin poorercountries,manybanksareunwillingorunabletolendmoneytosmallfarmers whowereunabletopay tofeedtheirfamilies,let alonetheircropsandsoil. Additionally, thelogisticsofshippingtofarmsindevelopingcountriesfurthercomplicatesmatters.