Base Fertilizer

fertilizer applied to the soil before the planting of crops. It supplies the plants with nutrients throughout the growing season. Together with presowing fertilization and top dressing, the base fertilizer forms the fertilizer system used in crop rotation. Organic fertilizers and a substantial part of the annual rate of mineral fertilizers are used as base fertilizers. They are applied annually, usually in broadcast fashion, at plowing or cultivation time. The time of application (fall or spring), the depth, and the quantity depend on the type of crops (winter or spring), climatic and weather conditions, properties of the soil and fertilizers, and the equipment used. The effect of base fertilizer added as a “reserve” once every three to five years is being studied in the USSR, the German Democratic Republic, the Federal Republic of Germany, and Czechoslovakia.