10-34-0 vs. Farmers First™ Inhabit™ P: Comparing Starter Fertilizer Options

What Are Starter Fertilizers?

Starter fertilizers contain high amounts of phosphate and are common in row crop agriculture, particularly in raising a corn crop. Common N-P-K blends of starter fertilizers include 10-34-0, 6-24-6, and 9-18-9, just to name a few. Which one you might choose depends on geography, soil types, and yield goals.

The phosphate in these starter fertilizer blends can come in different forms.

Phosphate typically forms long chains of multiple phosphate groups called poly-phos. For plants to use this phosphate efficiently, the phosphate has to break down into individual phosphate molecules, called ortho-phos.

Some formulations of starter fertilizers are rich in ortho-phos, so these single phosphate molecules are immediately available to be taken up by the crop.

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