Source: NCSU COLLEGE OF AG & LIFE SCIENCES, 7/25/22


Synthetic nitrogen fertilizers have become so costly to farmers, the energy sector and the environment that everyone seems open to alternatives. But in today’s high production systems, driving profitable crop yield demands specific plant nitrogen levels. Farmers increasingly face the double dilemma of stomaching high fertilizer costs and the potentially high environmental impact of their use. 

New research from North Carolina State University’s Department of Crop and Soil Sciences will investigate whether or not enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEFs) could benefit both farm profitability and the environment.

Nitrogen Everywhere But Here
Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for plant growth. In a sustainable cycle, nature employs multitudes of soil bacteria to convert the abundant atmospheric nitrogen into plant-usable forms. 

But when the system is overloaded from high nitrogen rates or poor application conditions, environmentally-damaging ammonia and nitrous oxide gasses can be released from the soil in high amounts. A farmer’s pricey nitrogen investment can literally disappear into thin air.

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