Short answers, pulled from the story.
German chemist Justus von Liebig remains most mentioned as the father of the fertilizer industry. His scientific research on plant nutrition began before his work, yet his name dominates historical accounts.
John Bennet Lawes patented a manure formed by treating phosphates with sulfuric acid in 1842. This event marked the first creation of the artificial manure industry and followed experiments starting in 1837.
Three main macronutrients dominate most formulations: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Nitrogen drives leaf growth and stem development while phosphorus supports root formation and flowers.
Production rose almost 20-fold to reach 100 million tonnes of nitrogen per year in 2003. Use of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers increased steadily over the last 50 years of the 20th century.
Potash production occurs primarily in Canada, Russia, and Belarus together making over half of world output. Potash production in Canada rose by eighteen point six percent in both 2017 and 2018.