Why is bone meal a high-quality phosphorus fertilizer? Apply it this way for good results

Why do we say bone meal is a good phosphorus fertilizer? How should it be used for good results? Bone meal is made by processing and grinding animal bones, and its main component is tricalcium phosphate, accounting for about 58%-62% of bone meal. In addition, it also contains 4%-5% nitrogen and fats. To improve the application effect of bone meal, the following four points should be noted when applying it:

① It is suitable for acidic soil, generally at 25-30 kg per 667 m², and is often ineffective on calcareous soil;

② It is mainly used on cruciferous crops, buckwheat, leguminous green manure crops and other crops, because these crops have a high utilization rate of the sparingly soluble phosphorus in bone meal and good results;

③ Bone meal has a slow fertilizer effect and is suitable as a base fertilizer, especially when applied in concentrated bands or in holes;

④ Its fertilizer effect when applied in summer is better than in winter. When applying unfermented bone meal in paddy fields, drain the water first before applying, so as to prevent the bone meal from floating on the water surface and affecting the fertilizer effect. 

Appendix: Bone tissue is composed of a mixture of living cells and minerals (mainly calcium and phosphorus), and it is precisely these minerals that give bone its solid physical properties. Bones have different shapes and sizes; for example, the arm bones are long bones, the wrist bones are short bones, the sternum and skull bones are flat bones, and the vertebrae are irregular bones. Adult bone is mainly composed of two tissues: hard compact bone on the outside, and porous cancellous bone, also called spongy bone, on the inside. The thigh bone in long bones, also called the femur, is filled in the middle with fat called yellow bone marrow.

Appendix 2: How is “bone age” determined? Why is it important?

During growth, the cartilage layer near both ends of long bones thins at a predictable rate and eventually disappears, and the bone then stops growing. X-ray examination can be used to measure the thickness of the growth plate, thereby determining bone age. Although each child's bones grow at a different rate, generally speaking, bone age corresponds to age. If there is a large difference between bone age and age, it may be endocrine disorder.