Manure contains an appreciable amount of nitrogen. Cattle manure contains about 10 to 40 pounds of nitrogen per ton. About half of this nitrogen is converted to forms available to plants during the first growing season. Lesser amounts are converted during succeeding seasons. Each ton of applied manure is equal to about 5 to 20 pounds of commercial fertilizer nitrogen.
All forms are equally effective when properly applied.
Once applied, fertilizer nitrogen is subject to the same transformations as other sources of nitrogen. Nitrogen Transformations Nitrogen exists in a number of chemical forms and undergoes chemical and biological reactions. The following transformation processes are numbered to coincide with Figure 1. 1. Organic nitrogen comprises over 95 percent of the nitrogen found in soil. Ammonium is not leached to a great extent.