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Everything You Need to Know About DAP Fertilizer: Benefits, Application, and Prices

Published on: 27-Jan-2025
Updated on: 27-Jan-2025

Agriculture is the toughest and most hardworking challenge for the country's farmers as it requires so many strategies, processes, methods, care, and equipment to practice the cultivation of crops till harvesting.

Good quality seeds, fertilizers, soil, and climate are needed for cultivating strong, colorful, and quality crops for consumption or commercial use. Farmers test the soil composition at pH level to determine its nutrients.

To Fulfill the nutritional needs of soil such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), often abbreviated as NPK, Dap fertilizers play a pivotal role in it.

Although it is used to enhance soil fertility and increase crop yields, Let's understand more about DAP fertilizer:

What is DAP fertilizer?

Plants require 17 types of nutrients which primary nutrients are classified as NPK nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Dap fertilizer stands for Di-Ammonium Phosphate fertilizer which has all the primary nutrients in it.

Dap fertilizer's relatively high nutrient content and excellent physical properties make it a popular choice in farming and other industries as it contains 18% of nitrogen and 46% of phosphorus in it.

The inputs required to produce one ton of DAP fertilizer are approximately 1.5 to 2 tons of phosphate rock, 0.4 tons of sulfur (S) to dissolve the rock, and 0.2 tons of ammonia. Changes in the supply or price of any of these inputs will impact DAP prices and availability.

Also Read: Types and Methods of Organic Farming

Properties of Dap fertilizers

  • This fertilizer is Granular, free-flowing solid particles, having a white, light brown, or sometimes colorless appearance.
  •  The chemical formula of DAP fertilizer is (NH4)2HPO4 and has a molecular weight of 132.06 grams per mole.
  • Due to its high nitrogen content, it is highly water-soluble, allowing for easy nutrient availability to plants.
  • DAP fertilizer is a non-toxic element that can be easily applied to soils with the help of easy steps of safety precautions.
  • It can easily absorb moisture if not stored properly, which may lead to caking along with that, it is also less prone to nitrogen losses through volatilization compared to urea fertilizers.

Benefits Of DAP fertilizers

There are numerous benefits of using DAP fertilizer that can enhance the development of plants and crops. Here are some of them. 

  • Dap fertilizer offers a dual nutrient supply to the plants as it contains a balanced ratio of nitrogen and phosphorus, which are essential for healthy plant growth. Nitrogen supports foliage development and overall plant vigor, while phosphorus promotes root development, flowering, and fruiting.
  • It supports the early growth of roots and fast development of plants that take less time to mature. Strong roots are responsible for the proper nutrition and water intake in plants, leading to healthier and more resilient plants.
  • It is easy to handle and apply because it is granular in form which is easy to store, handle, and apply using standard fertilizer equipment, and allows equal distribution across the soil that improves nutrient intake.
  • Dap fertilizers are versatile in nature as it is suitable for all types of crops that vary from food crops to cash crops for example rice, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, jute, cotton, and many more. This makes it a wide choice among the farmers.
  • The alkaline nature of pH (7.5 to 8) of DAP fertilizer helps to adjust the pH level of soil as it helps to manage the acidic nature of the soil which helps to to improve soil fertility and nutrient availability, especially in areas with acidic soils.

Application Tips for DAP Fertilizer

Before applying the fertilizer it is very important to test the soil composition and inquire about the best practices to ensure that your crops receive the maximum benefit and that you minimize nutrient loss or environmental impact.

  1. The first step that should be followed by the farmers is conducting the soil test that helps to identify the pH level of the soil. it ensures no overlaps will happen and the right amount of DAP fertilizer will be used for further application.
  2. The second step is pre-sowing or applying at planting as the phosphorus content of Dap fertilizers will help to stimulate the root growth early. Applying soil over the surface evenly can mainly be helpful for crops such as cereals, oilseeds, and vegetables.
  3. The third important step of applying fertilizer is banding near the seeds because it places the fertilizer close to the plant roots, allowing them to absorb nutrients more efficiently. For the row crops apply DAP 2–3 inches below the surface.
  4. The fourth step of using DAP is following the recommended application rates which is around 50–100 kg/ha of DAP for most crops, but always adjusting based on specific crop needs and soil conditions.
  5. The fifth step is using irrigation systems for fertigation because they can easily dissolve in water and adjust the solution to avoid high concentration levels that could burn plants.
  6. The sixth step of applying DAP fertilizer is taking care of soil moisture if the soil is moist but not waterlogged. Then only it can be beneficial for plants to absorb the nutrients rather than dry ones.
  7. Last but not the least step is avoiding the excess use of fertiliser as it contains higher amounts of phosphorus which may lead to phosphorus toxicity because it can imbalance the soil fertility and create environmental pollution.

Also Read: Types of Soil in India

Factors That Affect DAP Fertilizer Prices

DAP fertilizer price of 50 kg is 13000 which is an expensive rate and can negatively affect the profitable margin for farmers' agricultural market. There are certain factors that affect the prices of any fertilizer available in the market, including DAP. Some of them are: 

  1. Supply chain issues: When demand exceeds supply, it eventually leads to an increase in the market price of fertilizers. It basically includes some processes such as shipping-related problems, lack of proper management, etc. 
  2. Raw Material Unavailability: A high-level shortage of raw materials in the market is the major factor that affects the price of DAP and other fertilizers. Without those necessary materials, it is almost impossible to take production to a level where it can meet consumer demand.

The temporary solution for the high price is that you can buy the IFFCO Nano DAP online as well. Along with a wide range of fertilizers and other agriculture-related products, DAP is also available at IFFCO Bazar at reasonable prices.