Introduction

In modern agriculture, choosing the right fertilizer is one of the key factors to improve crop yield and quality. This special report will explore the comparison between ammonium sulfate (NH4)2SO4 and other commonly used fertilizers (such as urea and nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compound fertilizers), and analyze their application effects under different soil conditions, crop types and growth stages.

Nutritional composition and characteristics of ammonium sulfate

Ammonium sulfate is a nitrogen-containing fertilizer with a high nitrogen content, usually between 20-21%, and 22% sulfur. This allows ammonium sulfate to not only provide the nitrogen required by crops, but also promote crop photosynthesis and improve crop resistance. Its advantages are:

• **Excellent Solubility**: Ammonium sulfate is highly soluble in water and can be quickly absorbed by plants.
• **Plant Absorption Efficiency**: The nitrogen in ammonium sulfate exists in the form of ammonium and sulfate ions, which can be effectively absorbed by most crops.
• **Influence on soil pH**: After the application of ammonium sulfate, the acidity of the soil will increase, so it is suitable for use in alkaline soil and helps to improve the soil structure.

Comparison with urea

Urea (CO(NH2)2) is a commonly used nitrogen fertilizer, but its risk of nitrogen loss during application is relatively high. Compared with ammonium sulfate, the advantages and disadvantages of urea include:

• **Cost-effectiveness**: Urea has low production cost and its market price is relatively cheap.
• **Absorption efficiency**: Urea needs to be converted into ammonium nitrogen before it can be absorbed by crops, and the conversion process is easily affected by environmental factors such as temperature and humidity.
• **Environmental impact**: Urea easily evaporates into ammonia after application, causing environmental pollution.

Comparison with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compound fertilizer

Nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (NPK) compound fertilizer combines multiple nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and is suitable for a variety of crops to provide comprehensive nutrition. However, in comparison, the advantages and disadvantages of ammonium sulfate are reflected in:

• **Highly targeted**: Ammonium sulfate mainly provides nitrogen and sulfur, and is suitable for crops that have a greater demand for these elements.
• **Easy to apply**: Due to its high solubility, it is easy to apply without causing loss of soil nutrients.
• **Soil Improvement**: Ammonium sulfate helps lower soil pH and is suitable for application in alkaline soils to improve soil quality.

Market research data and cost-benefit analysis

According to recent market research data, the use rate of ammonium sulfate has increased year by year, especially in food crops such as rice and wheat, and its cost-effectiveness is obvious. By comparing the unit output cost of different fertilizers, ammonium sulfate shows a good return on investment in most cases.

Summary and suggestions

In summary, ammonium sulfate has unique advantages in agricultural fertilization, which can improve the growth efficiency of crops and provide support for soil improvement. For farmers, the rational selection of nitrogen fertilizers can not only increase crop yields, but also play an important role in environmental protection and sustainable development. It is recommended that farmers apply a reasonable combination of ammonium sulfate and other fertilizers according to their own soil conditions and crop needs to improve overall production efficiency.

It is hoped that this special report can provide practical information for agricultural production to guide agricultural enterprises and farmers to better manage fertilization.