Using Nitrogen Smartly: Part 6

Nitrogen plays a key role in the formation of organic matter. When I changed to no-till production, I was amazed at how rapidly the soil gained organic matter, and how quickly plant health and crop performance improved.

- Bill Kerr

I knew that humus has a carbon: nitrogen (C:N) ratio of 10:1, but had never fully understood the significance of this. Because I was fertilising my crops with liberal amounts of N, I wondered whether this was significant in converting my crop residue into humus.

FINDING THE MISSING FORMULA

The next step was to determine if there was a formula for this development. I started asking questions locally and abroad, and even contacted the agronomy professors of three US universities.

Two of them confirmed that N has a stabilising effect on humus, but could not provide details. Prof Steve Thien of Kansas State University, however, said that a formula did indeed exist, and all of his students had to complete a project to prove this formula.