Ever wonder the difference between TSP and SP36 fertilizer? Let’s break it down here!

Before starting your farming activities, it’s good to know that the nutrient phosphorus plays an important role for your plants.

Luckily, there are currently many types of fertilizers that contain phosphorus, including TSP fertilizer and SP36 fertilizer.

Difference Between TSP and SP36 Fertilizer

1. Composition

The first difference that you should know before using TSP fertilizer and SP36 fertilizer is in their composition.

Indeed, both types of fertilizer contain phosphorus (P), but there are in different amounts between the TSP fertilizer and SP36 fertilizer.

Starting from TSP fertilizer that has a composition of pure phosphorus in compounds (P2O5) as much as 46 percent.

This type of fertilizer is made from a chemical process and combines rock phosphate, phosphoric acid, and sulfuric acid.

So, the result of the TSP fertilizer, which has this amount of phosphate concentration, makes it ideal for plants to meet a lot of phosphate. For example, in corn and soybean crops.

Meanwhile, for SP36 fertilizer or Super Phosphate 36 percent itself, there is a composition of phosphate fertilizer in a phosphate concentration of 36 percent.

Unlike the previous type of fertilizer, SP36 fertilizer is made through the acidification process of phosphate rock and sulfuric acid.

Even so, SP36 fertilizer is still more effective than TSP fertilizer even though the amount of phosphate concentration is lower.

Also Read: “The Benefits of Triple Phosphate Fertilizer“

2. Effectivity

One of the other differences in TSP fertilizer and SP36 fertilizer can also be known from its effectiveness.

It can be said that the effectiveness of these two types of fertilizers is equally good in providing phosphate to plants.

However, the effectiveness of TSP fertilizer and SP36 fertilizer depends on the type of plant and soil conditions.

By way of explanation, TSP fertilizer usually works more effectively in soils with high pH conditions.

Meanwhile, SP36 fertilizer can work more effectively in soils with low pH conditions.

So, it can be concluded that the use of TSP fertilizer and SP36 fertilizer is in accordance with soil analysis and the specific needs of the plants you want to provide.

3. Cost

There are also other differences in this type of TSP fertilizer and SP36 fertilizer, starting from the ease of obtaining it and the cost.

First, considering that TSP fertilizer is still an imported or foreign-made product, it is a little difficult to obtain.

Meanwhile, SP36 fertilizer is easy to obtain, because it has been produced in Indonesia itself.

Second, it still intersects with the ease of obtaining it. Surely you already know, TSP fertilizer itself has a relatively expensive price.

Apart from being produced from imports, the phosphate content in TSP fertilizer is also higher. In fact, the process of making TSP fertilizer is also more complicated.

But, because TSP fertilizer prioritizes concentration, farmers may also need a smaller amount of this type of fertilizer to get the same result.

Keep in mind, the actual cost of these two types of fertilizers also varies and depends on the specific conditions of the crop and soil analysis.

So there you have it! The 3 main differences of TSP and SP36 fertilizer!

Did you know, because of its safety concern and wide range of uses, the TSP and SP36 fertilizer is one of the mandatory products to be certified by the SNI certification?

The SNI certification itself is a type of product approval that regulates the quality and safety of many if not all of the products and/or services in Indonesia.

The goal of this certification is to give a standard for those products so it can also give peace of mind to Indonesian customers.

The regulation and standard of SP36 and TSP fertilizer itself is clearly stated in SNI 02-3769-2005 and SNI 02-0086-2005 respectively.