Why Nitrogen Is Important to Plants

October 14, 2024 by
Regen Aquaculture, Joe Pate
| No comments yet

💡  About 1-5% of total plant dry matter consists on nitrogen, which is the second highest required element in plants, second only to carbon.  Nitrogen is essential for plant metabolism as a constituent of proteins, nucleic acids, chlorophyll, co-enzymes, phytohormones and secondary metabolites. When taken up as either ammonium or nitrate, nitrogen is assimilated into amino acids in either the roots or shoots.

📌 Research Highlights:
▶  The availability of nitrogen to roots is a decisive factor for plant growth. Atmospheric N2 is only available to plants that are capable of forming symbiosis with N2-fixing bacteria.
▶  In addition to inorganic nitrogen acquisition, uptake of organic nitrogen also contributes to plant nutrition. Organic nitrogen is the main form of nitrogen in soils: in the organic matter and in the form of peptides and proteins, amino acids, and the urea.
▶ To achieve efficient plant growth, development, and reproduction, adequate, not excessive, amounts of nitrogen are required. Plants that are deficient in nitrogen display stunted growth with narrow leaves, a pale green or even a pale green or  yellow coloring, and a low canopy.

🎯Generally, a uniformly high nutrient supply suppresses root branching. However, when overall nitrogen availability is limited, plants may respond by enhancing lateral root development into nitrogen-rich patches.

📷 Image: Schematic representation of shoot and root growth in cereal plants with an increasing nitrogen supply.

 

Read more


Regen Aquaculture, Joe Pate October 14, 2024
Share this post
Archive
Sign in to leave a comment