Solutions Solid Nitrogen Materials Ammonia Volatilization Nitrogen and Plants Nitrogen is one of sixteen elements that are essential for the growth of plants. It is a component of proteins and is therefore involved in regulating most processes that occur in plants. A deficiency of nitrogen causes poor growth, stunted plants and low yields. Because nitrogen is a component of chlorophyll, a yellow colour, beginning with the lower leaves, is a common symptom of nitrogen deficiency. Nitrogen tends to promote vegetative growth relatively more than reproductive growth.
Plants given excess nitrogen tend to be tall with weak stems.
Thus, an oversupply of nitrogen can cause lodging. Most of the nitrogen in soil is contained in the organic matter, and is not available to plants until the organic matter decomposes. Most of the available nitrogen in soil is in the nitrate form, since ammonium nitrogen is converted relatively quickly to nitrate by soil bacteria. The nitrogen in the fertilizer materials discussed in this Factsheet is present in one or both of these forms, or is quickly converted to either the ammonium or nitrate form in the soil. In their manufacture, natural gas is first reacted with nitrogen gas from the atmosphere to produce ammonia, which is then used as the raw material in making other nitrogen materials.