Three hundred and fifty kilograms of ammonium nitrate an odourless, white crystalline chemical that is a powerful oxidiser and, under the right conditions, can cause a massive explosion were ... Ammonium nitrate is a white crystalline salt used as a fertilizer and an explosive. Learn about its properties, production, uses, hazards, and occurrence in nature and history. Ammonium nitrate is an important chemical compound. Its primary production method involves the reaction between nitric acid and ammonia and it is used mainly in high-quality fertilizers. As a direct fertilizer this compound contributes to approximately 24% of global nitrogen fertilizer consumption. Ammonium nitrate is an essential ingredient in various blended and complex fertilizer formulations, thus playing an important role in addressing the nutritional needs of the world’s populace. Ammonium nitrate, a chemical salt recently seized from an arrested doctor's home in Delhi, is highly reactive under certain conditions and capable of causing massive explosions