Much of WA is dominated by sandy soils characterised by low amounts of organic matter and a poor ability to retain water and nutrients. So it is not surprising that fertilisers are a critical part of agriculture in this State, and that crops and pastures grow poorly without the addition of nutrients.

Plants require 16 nutrients for healthy growth, known as mineral or inorganic nutrients, and are categorised into:

• Major nutrients
• Minor nutrients
• Other nutrients

Plants obtain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen from carbon dioxide and water in the atmosphere and use these to produce carbohydrates in the process of photosynthesis. These three elements are known as non-mineral nutrients.