SSP — Single Super Phosphate (0-16-0)
The value phosphorus fertiliser for sulphur-loving crops. Weaker than DAP per bag, but it feeds phosphorus, sulphur and calcium together.
- Composition
- 16% P₂O₅, 11% S, 21% Ca
- Form
- Grey granules / powder
- Subsidised price
- ~₹500–600 per 50 kg bag (2024–25)
- Best for
- Oilseeds & pulses (P + sulphur)
Overview
SSP supplies 16% phosphorus (as P₂O₅), plus about 11% sulphur and 21% calcium. Its phosphorus content is low, so you carry more bags than with DAP — but the sulphur is the point. Oilseeds and pulses need sulphur to build oil and protein, and much of India’s soil is now sulphur-deficient.
Used as the phosphorus source for mustard, groundnut, soybean or onion — with urea added to match the nitrogen a DAP plan would have supplied — SSP often gives better value and a real quality bump (oil content in mustard, pungency and keeping in onion) that a straight phosphorus fertiliser cannot.
What it is and when to reach for it
- A phosphorus fertiliser that doubles as a cheap sulphur source — choose it over DAP when the crop needs sulphur.
- It carries no nitrogen, so pair it with urea when you replace DAP, to keep the nitrogen where it should be.
- Its calcium is a bonus on groundnut, where calcium at the pegging zone improves pod filling.
How to apply it well
- Apply the full dose at sowing as basal, placed near the seed like any phosphorus fertiliser.
- For oilseeds, SSP is the simplest way to cover the sulphur requirement at the same time as phosphorus — no separate sulphur product needed.
- Because it is bulkier, factor the extra bags into transport and labour when comparing its price with DAP.
Common mistakes
- Replacing DAP with SSP but forgetting to add urea for the nitrogen DAP would have supplied.
- Buying powdered SSP that has gone lumpy and damp — it loses flowability and is hard to place evenly.
- Ignoring sulphur deficiency on oilseeds and paying for it in lower oil content.
Organic alternative
Bone meal + gypsum
In organic systems, bone meal covers phosphorus and gypsum adds the sulphur and calcium SSP would have supplied.
Crops it is used on
Open a crop for its full nutrient schedule.
Common questions
Why choose SSP over DAP?
For sulphur. SSP carries 11% sulphur and 21% calcium alongside its phosphorus, and India’s oilseed and pulse soils are widely sulphur-deficient. For mustard, groundnut and soybean, SSP (with urea to match the nitrogen) often gives better value and higher oil/protein than DAP.
How much SSP replaces one bag of DAP?
DAP is 46% phosphorus and SSP is 16%, so it takes roughly three bags of SSP to match the phosphorus in one bag of DAP — plus about 9 kg of urea per DAP bag to replace the nitrogen DAP would have supplied.
Does SSP expire?
It keeps for a long time if stored dry, but powdered SSP cakes and loses flowability once it takes up moisture. Keep bags sealed and off the floor, and buy for the season rather than the store-room.
Composition and doses follow ICAR / Soil Health Card guidance; prices are the notified subsidised rates for the season shown and are guidance, not a quote. A soil test for your field always beats a general rate. See our editorial policy.