DIAMMONIUM PHOSPHATE

(18-20-0-1)

Diammonium phosphate (DAP) is the world’s most widely used phosphorus fertilizer. It’s made from two common constituents in the fertilizer industry, and its relatively high nutrient content and excellent physical properties make it a popular choice in farming and other industries.

Ammonium phosphate fertilizers first became available in the 1960s and DAP rapidly became the most popular in this class of products. It is formulated in a controlled reaction of phosphoric acid with ammonia, where the hot slurry is then cooled, granulated, and sieved. DAP has excellent handling and storage properties.

DAP fertilizer is an excellent source of P and nitrogen (N) for plant nutrition. It is highly soluble and thus dissolves quickly in soil to release plant-available phosphate and ammonium. The ammonium present in DAP is an excellent N source and will be gradually converted to nitrate by soil bacteria.

DAP and DAP blends are used on a range of crops in broad-acre farming, cereals, sugar cane, sowing pastures, dairy pastures, fodder crops and also in horticultural crops; for example, vegetables and tree crops.

One of the key differences between MAP and DAP is their nitrogen content. DAP may be more suitable where higher percentage of N is required. Additionally DAP is more salty at about 34 compared to 30 in MAP but at similar product rates the difference is negligible.