Manure contains nitrogen in several forms. Organic nitrogen is the most stable, tied up with carbon and other elements in many compounds such as proteins. It moves into plant roots with water. Total nitrogen is the mixture of organic and inorganic forms of nitrogen in the manure. Organic nitrogen is the most stable, tied up with carbon and other elements in many compounds such as proteins.
Some nitrogen is available quickly, and some takes months or years to become available.
The time involved depends on the types of compounds in which N is tied up and the soil environment. It is available to plants immediately and moves into plant roots with water. Total nitrogen is the mixture of organic and inorganic forms of nitrogen in the manure. Some of the total nitrogen is available immediately, while most of it is available later. Although we typically project that 40 percent of total nitrogen in manure is available during the first growing season, this is a crude estimate.