Soil School: Building organic matter with nitrogen fertilizer

How does commercial nitrogen fertilizer impact soil organic matter? Does adding nitrogen burn up organic matter or does it actually enhance organic matter levels in farm soils?

Earlier this year, Syngenta soil health assessment lead Jordan Wade and Washington State University agronomist Andrew McGuire teamed up to answer that question. After reviewing decades of academic research and looking at recent on-farm experience, they concluded that commercial nitrogen doesn't cause organic matter to be "burned off."

From a soil organic matter perspective, Wade and McGuire found more good news than bad when they drilled down into the impacts of nitrogen fertilizer application, including evidence of how synthetic nitrogen can actually help slow organic matter losses.

On this episode of the RealAgriculture Soil School, Wade joins host Bernard Tobin to discuss the findings and share insights on how nitrogen helps feed soil microbes and increases both crop and microbial biomass. They also explore how nitrogen builds pools of soil carbon, including its role in increasing "new" carbon inputs while also slowing the loss of "old" soil carbon.

Website: https://www.realagriculture.com/
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