Balanced Fertilization平衡施肥
Balanced fertilization is the principle of determining the rates and ratios of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and secondary and micro elements according to crop nutrient requirements and the soil's supply capacity, so that the nutrients remain in proportion to one another. Its opposite is the one-sided application of a single nutrient.
Key points
- What tends to be overlooked is not nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium themselves but the secondary and micro elements and the balance between nutrients — an excess of one nutrient reduces yield just as a deficiency does.
- The evolution of the national application ratio is instructive: the N : P₂O₅ : K₂O ratio moved from 1 : 0.53 : 0.36 in 2015 to 1 : 0.49 : 0.42, showing a clear shift away from phosphorus and towards potassium.
- The practical form of balanced fertilization is soil testing and formulated fertilization: test the soil, derive a formula, supply fertilizer to that formula, and guide its application.
- Whether a regime is balanced cannot be judged from the fertilizer formula alone — the soil's existing nutrient status and residual fertilizer from the previous season also determine it.
Related terms
Soil Testing and Formulated Fertilization
Soil testing and formulated fertilization is a technical approach that d…
Nutrient Use Efficiency
Nutrient use efficiency is the percentage of applied nutrients taken up …
Secondary and Micro Elements
Secondary elements are calcium, magnesium and sulphur — required in smal…
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Category and source
- Category：Application technology
- Definition basis：Ministry of Agriculture, Technical Regulation for Soil Testing and Formulated Fertilization (2011 revision)
Updated：Oct 19, 2026