NPK Fertilizer Amount per Crop

NPK fertilizer per crop

EMBRAPA puts out NPK recommendations by crop, given in kg/ha of N–P₂O₅–K₂O. Take soybean at 0-80-60: plenty of P and K, but almost no N, since the plant pulls nitrogen straight from the air through its Bradyrhizobium partnership. Corn (maize) runs 60-80-60, with the nitrogen split between sowing and a topdressing around V4-V6. Coffee sits at 240-30-150, a huge N load to push leaf growth plus K for filling the beans. To see how the numbers add up: 50 ha of corn at 60-80-60 calls for 3,000 kg N + 4,000 kg P₂O₅ + 3,000 kg K₂O, delivered through blends such as 8-28-16 at sowing and urea on top.

Applications

This kind of figure shows up in precision agriculture, in reading a soil analysis, and in day-to-day soil fertility management. What you actually apply hinges on the soil's P and K levels (measured by Mehlich-1 or resin), the yield you are aiming for, and what was grown on the plot before. In Brazil the go-to reference tables come from EMBRAPA Solos and the IAC (Boletim 100).

FAQ

Why so little N for soybean? Inoculated rhizobia let the soybean fix 200–300 kg N/ha/year out of the air on its own. Pile on mineral N and you can actually shut that fixation down.

Why split N in corn? Nitrogen moves easily and washes out with the rain. Applying 30% at sowing and 70% later as topdressing keeps the supply in step with what the plant takes up, so less of it is wasted.

How to choose the formulation? Look for a blend whose ratio comes close to what you need; for 60-80-60, an 8-28-16 base is a decent match. Then fine-tune at topdressing with single sources like urea (45% N) or KCl (60% K₂O).