Pros and cons of granular and liquid fertilizers

Jim Isleib, Michigan State University Extension - December 29, 2016

Theoretically, plants can't tell the difference between nutrients supplied by the granular and liquid fertilizers, but they both have advantages depending on the farming application.

There are several ways to categorize fertilizers. One logical way to look at them is as "granulars" and "liquids." For the purposes of this comparison, anhydrous ammonia (technically a liquid) will not be considered.

Dry fertilizers are generally incorporated into granules. Fertilizer blends can be created by mixing individual granular fertilizer of known analysis (e.g., 46-0-0, 18-46-0 and 0-0-60) in the proper ratio to create the desired blend. Dry fertilizers can be ground applied as a broadcast; applied at planting as a band, often placed 2 inches to the side and 2 inches below the seed (2-by-2 placement); or applied as sidedress and cultivated shallowly into the soil. When farmers have access to custom blended granular fertilizer, they can fine-tune their crop fertility program and potentially improve crop production efficiency. If all goes well, this can result in more profitable crop production.

Liquid fertilizers have greatly increased in popularity in recent years. They can be either ground applied or foliar applied. Liquids can be broadcast, used in a band application at planting and as mid-season sidedress. When foliar applied, the plant nutrients are absorbed through the leaves and are more readily available for plant use than if ground applied. However, the availability of foliar applied nutrients is short-lived and not continuous for the rest of the growing season. Foliar applications are a good way to correct mid-season deficiencies or supplement soil applied nutrients.

Although there is no difference in the total amount of nutrients supplied by either granular or liquid fertilizer for a specified plant nutrient application, there are differences:

Here is a short list of advantages of both fertilizer types.

Liquid

Granular

Michigan State University Extension does not necessarily recommend one type of fertilizer over another. However, farmers should consider costs, ease and convenience of application, and potential plant response when making fertilizer decisions.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

Haul manure? Check out the Michigan Manure Hauler Certification Program!

Check out the MSU Fruit & Vegetable Crop Management Program!

Published on August 23, 2022

Published on November 26, 2019

Published on April 8, 2022

Published on April 7, 2021

Published on April 7, 2021

Published on April 6, 2021