Fertilizers early history

The Spanish Civil War and World War II finally ruined the Spanish pyrites industry. Shipments had been blocked during these years, and alternatives had been found. After World War II, many new sulfuric acid plants were constructed in Europe to replace those that had been destroyed, and U.S. expansion was bolstered by economic growth, especially by demand for phosphate fertilizers. These new plants all used elemental sulfur (Contact process). While Spanish pyrites production returned to pre-war levels by 1950 (see Figure 2.5 for the early history of production), their market share had seriously eroded as sulfur demand, overall, had more than doubled. Pyrites mining as a source of sulfur continued in Spain until 2002. 

Plant life has existed for millions of years, but for a plant to be healthy at least 22 different chemical elements are necessary (Table 3.11) [4], A deficiency in any one of these nutrients can result in limited plant growth. The addition of nutrients to the soil for enhanced plant growth has a long history dating back to early civilization. However, in modem times the fertilizer industry has become necessary to ensure plant growth. 

The history of the world fertilizer industry can be traced to the e2irliest agriculture when man began cultivation of plants to produce food. Prior to cultivation of plants and domestication of animals, man was a hunter and. gatherer of whatever sources of food he could find in his local environment. The early farmers soon learned that some soils were more productive than others they also learned that continuous cultivation of the same land resulted in reduced yields. Some learned that the addition of manures, composts, fish, ashes, and other substances would sometimes increase yields or apparently restore productivity to fields that were considered to be "worn out. Most of these soil amendments (the first fertilizers) were discovered by trial and error, and results were unpredictable. 

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