Organic vs Inorganic Nitrogen: What every organic farmer needs to know

The way in which plants detect, take up and utilise different forms of nitrogen is of fundamental importance to all farmers but the specific benefits of organic vs inorganic nitrogen sources is of particular importance to organic farmers. Organic forms of nitrogen are less leaky and more stable in the soil but when taken up by the plant, organic forms are more metabolically efficient than inorganic forms - in other words - plants require less energy to process and make use of organic forms of nitrogen. This has major implications for biomass production (yield), nitrogen demand and nitrogen use efficiency, presenting a critical opportunity for organic farmers to manage nitrogen in a more targeted and efficient way. Is nitrogen really such a limitation in organic systems when organic forms are in dominant supply to the plant? Does the natural process of atmospheric N-fixation supply organic or inorganic N to the plant? Does a pound of N simply equal a pound of N? There is much more to the nitrogen story and this presentation will answer these important questions and take a deep dive into all things nitrogen nutrition.

Joel Williams is an independent plant and soil health educator and consultant who has worked extensively in Australia, Europe and Canada where he is currently based. He has a keen interest in soil health, plant nutrition and plant and soil microbiomes and how these may support the development of sustainable production systems. Joel has a Bachelor of Agricultural Science specialising in plant and soil dynamics and an MSc in Food Policy where he explored motivations and barriers to the adoption of intercropping. Joel has a passion for teaching and sharing a combination of scientific and practical information and has lectured to farming audiences internationally.

This session is generously sponsored by: