Why farmers need to know how to work with nitrogen: Part 2

Understanding how nitrogen operates, and acting upon it, will greatly influence the performance of the crop, writes Bill Kerr.

- Bill Kerr

Virtually all minerals have some influence on human health, but there are a limited number of minerals necessary for productive plant growth. This is clearly evident in the amount of minerals used in hydroponic growing.

The element that is dominant in the growth and vigour in all cases is nitrogen. Nitrogen is like the accelerator in your car: it may be only one of hundreds of essential components to get the car functioning, but controls the speed. This is what nitrogen does to the plant. It accelerates plant growth, and a lack of it can even cause plant growth to stall.

Too much nitrogen can cause a reduction of yield in cases where the fruit or seed is harvested, as it encourages the plant to produce too much foliage. This is often seen in bean growing. Too little nitrogen, on the other hand, can reduce vigour, which can effect both fruiting and foliage.