The Nitrogen Cycle
Nitrogen is arguably the most important nutrient in your fertilizer program. Required in large quantities by plants, nitrogen supports plant growth, protein synthesis, photosynthesis, and other plant processes. Without nitrogen, crops will struggle to meet their full yield potential. The interactive diagram below demonstrates the factors that affect nitrogen throughout crop production including inputs to the soil, losses from the soil, and components in the soil.
A better understanding of the nitrogen cycle will help you uncover how exactly it impacts crop productivity, plant growth, soil health, and nutrient efficiency throughout production. The nitrogen cycle helps you understand the need for fertilization, how you can increase uptake and efficiency, and how you can optimize your fertilizer program.
Inputs to the Soil
Nitrogen can be added to the soil through atmospheric fixation and deposition, plant residues, animal manure or biosolids, fixation by legume crops, or through mineral fertilizers added via your nutrient management program. Click through each of the MORE buttons below to learn more about nitrogen inputs.
Losses from the Soil
Plant-available nitrogen can be lost in the soil through several pathways. It can be removed during harvest as crops remove nitrogen from the field or through runoff or erosion. It’s also susceptible to loss through leaching (washing away), volatilization (loss to the air), and denitrification (loss to the atmosphere). Click through each of the MORE buttons below to learn more about nitrogen loss pathways.
Pro Tip: Growers who leverage crop residue or cover crops can prevent loss through runoff and erosion.
Components in the Soil
Soil nitrogen is presented in three forms: organic nitrogen, ammonium (NH⁺₄), and nitrate (NO₃). While more than 90 per cent of soil nitrogen is found in organic matter, it’s not available to plants until it has been decomposed by soil organisms. The remaining inorganic nitrogen forms provide most of the plant-available nitrogen crops need including ammonium and nitrate. Atmospheric nitrogen (nitrogen gas in the atmosphere) can also provide access to nitrogen but it’s not available to most plants in its natural form. Click through each of the MORE buttons below to learn more about nitrogen in the environment and in the soil.
