A source of free nitrogen for sustainable soils?

Did you know it takes 2.5 times more energy to produce a tonne of ammonium nitrate fertiliser than the energy contained within it? No wonder it has become so inflationary.
 
As more farmers are measuring the carbon footprint of their businesses, more and more are realising that often over 50% of the farm’s footprint comes from the use of manufactured fertiliser. An essential part of managing nitrogen for increased yield and crop quality, while lessening the impact on the environment and reducing costs, is to ensure that a large part of your nitrogen requirements are sourced from the atmosphere rather than a bag.
 
The most productive soils on the planet have produced massive amounts of biomass for thousands of years and most of their nitrogen was sourced from the atmosphere. 74,000 tonnes of atmospheric nitrogen hovers over every hectare so why do we seem so slow to grasp technology to harness and utilise it?
 
Could the answer be in the mode of nitrogen fixing microbes, which supply nitrogen as and when it is required by the plant? It is in this form that nitrogen is most closely linked to plant health, crop quality, disease protection, flavour and shelf-life. I think it is no accident that the most abundant gas in the atmosphere is also the most abundant nutrient required for plant growth…

This must be the free gift that we somehow forgot to open, but how do we now access it?
 
The key to accessing atmospheric nitrogen involves making the most of soil biology and working with the rules of natural systems rather than against them. So, minerals such as cobalt, iron and soluble phosphate need to be available, the right ratio between calcium and magnesium levels need to be struck and sufficient soil carbon needs to be available to provide sanctuary to nitrogen fixing bacteria.
 
Rebuilding these essential components of soil biological systems is essential to supporting sustainable yields in the long term that are less dependent on manufactured inputs. A useful way to think about how to improve the biology of your soils is to think about getting your crops to behave like legumes, which may seem a little strange to some people. However, we are all comfortable with the fact that legumes, or rather the microbes within the root nodules, are able to fix atmospheric nitrogen – so why can’t all plants work harder at doing this job more effectively?

While getting the soil biology right is an essential start, ensuring the establishment of ‘Colony Forming Units’ or nitrogen fixing bacteria onto the leaf or root surface is also essential. We've developed a product called ‘Twin N’, and our evidence so far shows that it could enable agricultural crops to fix their own nitrogen. This could help to reduce the grower’s carbon footprint while greatly economising on bought-in fertilisers.

Mike is the Managing Director of Bodle Bros. Ltd. Click here to find out more.

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