Fate And Reaction Of Various Fertilizers In Soil.
There are five major processes that happen to applied fertilizer after applying it in the field: It is taken up by the crop. It reactes with soil minerals amd organic matter to become part of the soil reserve. It can leach from the root zone with water. It can move from the field through soil erosion and and water runoff. It can be lost to the atmosphere as a gas. Fate and reaction of nitrogen fertilizers: Nitrogen fertilizers can be subject to all five of these processes and may be the most difficult to manage of all nutrients. Nitrogen fertilizer is most commonly added in the form of nitrate, ammonium or urea. Their behaviour is quit different and they need to be managed with their specific properties in the mind. Nitrate : Nitrate is very soluble in the soil and moves freely with water in the soil. Excessive rainfall or irrigation can easily move nitrate below the root zone. In wet soils, bacteria may convert nitrate to nitrous oxide (N2O), causing a loss of valuabl...