Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN) Fertilizer: What It Is and When It Beats Urea
Decision details
Fits if: Vegetable and fruit growers choosing a straight-N top dressing, and buyers comparing granular nitrogen classes at a Malaysian shop by label analysis.
Main drawback: No potassium and low phosphate; CAN is a nitrogen-plus-calcium input, not a complete fertilizer.
Compare: declared N, nitrate share, calcium and magnesium figures on the bag; price per kg of declared N at the same pack size; the crop programme you follow; storage conditions at your shop.
In this guide
Summary: CAN is a straight-nitrogen class. Its declared analysis on one manufacturer page is 27% N (half nitrate), 4% Ca, 1% Mg [source]. This page explains what that means, how CAN differs from the nitrogen and phosphate classes Malaysian programmes actually name, and which buyer it fits.
What calcium ammonium nitrate is
Calcium ammonium nitrate is ammonium nitrate mixed with a calcium carbonate (dolomitic lime) carrier, formed into granules. The manufacturer product page used here lists: 27% total nitrogen with 50% of the nitrogen in nitrate form, nutrient list N 27%, Ca 4%, Mg 1%, chloride free [source].
Two consequences follow from that analysis, as chemistry rather than promises:
- Half the nitrogen is nitrate, which the plant can take up immediately; the ammonium half converts to nitrate in the soil over days to weeks, depending on conditions.
- The calcium travels in the same granule. Calcium is a plant nutrient in its own right; it does not substitute for the liming job of GML, and the 4% Ca here is far below a lime application [source].
The analysis above is one manufacturer’s declared figures for one product (era 2026-10-21). Different manufacturers and markets declare slightly different analyses. The bag in front of you at the shop is the authority for what you are buying.
What it does, and at which crop stage
CAN is a nitrogen top dressing. Nitrogen drives leaf and stem growth, so straight-N inputs belong in the vegetative and crop-building stages, not as the whole programme. Malaysian official programmes pair their nitrogen with phosphate, potash and lime classes — for example the rice programme pairs 46% N urea with compound fertilizers and notes MOP (60% K2O) and MAP as options [source]. CAN slots into the nitrogen slot of such a programme, not alongside all of them at once.
No crop-specific CAN rate is admitted on this page. Rate and timing come from the product label and the crop programme you follow.
The name at the shop, and the BM bridge
The search demand for CAN in Malaysia is in English — farmers, wholesalers and agronomists search the chemical name. At the shop, bring the full name and read the declared analysis; a counter substitution to urea or calcium nitrate changes what you get, because those are different analyses (see the table below).
Malaysian official crop programmes do not use CAN as a standard class — the straight classes they name are urea, MOP, TSP, rock phosphate (CIRP) and lime (GML) [source]. Malay-speaking growers usually approach the same need by effect — baja untuk pucuk, baja untuk buah, baja daun — rather than by chemical class. Those effect questions have their own owners on this site: how to use urea (BM) and NPK 15-15-15 explained (BM). This English page answers the chemistry question; the BM pages answer the effect question.
CAN vs the adjacent nitrogen classes
| Class | Declared analysis (source) | Speed of N availability | Soil acidity effect | Price class | Who it fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) | 27% N, half as nitrate; Ca 4%, Mg 1%, chloride free [source] | Part immediate (nitrate), part delayed (ammonium) | Less acidifying than ammonium-only N sources | Specialty class — compare per kg N at your counter | Buyers wanting nitrate N plus calcium in one straight granule |
| Urea | 46% N, the class named in the rice programme schedule [source] | Converts via soil ammonia and nitrate; not immediate | Acidifying with repeated use | Cheapest straight-N class per kg N; 2026 gazette context reports global urea prices up sharply [source] | Programmes that already name urea; cost-driven bulk top dressing |
| Ammonium sulphate | 21% N, 24% S [source] | Ammonium first, converts in soil | The most acidifying of the three; adds sulphur | Mid class | Crops needing sulphur alongside N; not for already-acid soils without a lime plan |
| Compound NPK 15:15:15 | 15:15:15 as named in the banana programme [source] | Depends on formulation | Depends on N form used | Varies by brand and pack | Buyers who want P and K in the same bag; see the NPK 15-15-15 guide |
The table compares analyses, not performance claims. Two bags with the same N% from different classes behave differently in soil; the nitrate share and the companion ions (Ca, S) are the difference you are buying.
Handling and storage, stated factually
- Store sealed and dry. Nitrate-bearing fertilizers absorb moisture; caking ruins broadcast evenness.
- Keep fertilizer away from fuels, oils and organic material in bulk storage — general chemical-storage hygiene, not a CAN-specific alarm.
- The manufacturer notes CAN substitutes for ammonium nitrate without the same hazardous-material classification [source]; that is a transport-classification statement from the product page, not advice on how you may store or handle it — follow the safety data sheet for the product you buy.
- Wash hands after handling; keep bags away from children and livestock. No medical or fear claims are made or needed.
The pick — and who should not take it
For the buyer comparing straight nitrogen at a Malaysian shop: if your crop programme names urea, follow it — urea is the cheapest declared N per kg in the table and the class your programme’s rates were written for [source]. Choose CAN when you specifically want part-immediate nitrate availability plus calcium in the same granule — typical reasons are vegetable top dressing where speed matters, or continuing nitrogen on ground you do not want to acidify further. Do not choose CAN if you need phosphate or potassium in the same application; it carries none [source].
Where to go next
- Urea price and pack comparison (BM owner): harga baja urea 50kg
- Urea schedules by crop: cara guna baja urea · EN
- The compound comparison page: NPK 15-15-15 explained
- The phosphate straight class with a local price owner: harga baja TSP
Frequently asked questions
What is calcium ammonium nitrate fertilizer?
A granular straight-nitrogen fertilizer made by mixing ammonium nitrate with a calcium (dolomitic lime) carrier. One manufacturer product lists 27% total nitrogen, half of it in nitrate form, with 4% calcium and 1% magnesium, chloride free [source]. The bag label you buy states its own declared analysis.
CAN vs urea — which one should I use?
Urea is the nitrogen class Malaysian official crop programmes actually name, for example 46% N urea at 80 kg/ha in the rice schedule [source]. CAN differs in two ways: half its nitrogen is already nitrate, so part of it is available to the plant immediately, and it carries calcium in the same granule [source]. Where a programme names urea, follow the programme; CAN is the choice when you specifically want nitrate speed plus calcium and the price per kg of N is acceptable to you.
Is CAN suitable for vegetables and fruit trees?
As a straight nitrogen top dressing, yes in the general sense that crops use both nitrate and ammonium nitrogen; this page admits no crop-specific rate. Check the crop directions on the product label and the crop programme you follow before deciding rate or timing.
Does calcium ammonium nitrate make soil acidic?
As a general principle, repeated use of ammonium-heavy nitrogen sources (urea, ammonium sulphate) gradually acidifies soil, while nitrate-carried nitrogen does not add to that acidification. CAN sits between the two because its nitrogen is half nitrate [source]. This is a chemistry framing, not a measured claim about your soil; a soil test decides.
What do I ask for at a Malaysian shop, and in BM?
Bring the full name — calcium ammonium nitrate, or CAN — and check the declared analysis figures on the bag rather than relying on a nickname. The Malaysian official programmes quoted on this site name urea, MOP, TSP, rock phosphate (CIRP) and lime (GML) as their straight classes [source], so CAN is identified by its label, not by a slot in those schedules.