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Nitrogen and plant production

Nitrogen and plant production CHAPTER 7 R. NOVOA* and R. S. LOOMIS *IN1A, Castilla, Santiago, Chile Green plants play a unique role among living organisms through their ability to reduce carbon in photosynthesis. While reduced carbon provides the energy source for all life, nitrogen must be viewed as the central element because of its role in substances such as proteins and nucleic acids which form the living material. Proteins serve as enzyme catalysts in metabolic pathways, as structural elements of cytoplasm and membranes and as carriers in transport functions. Nucleic acids provide the means for codification, storage and translation of genetic information. In those and other organic materials, nitrogen appears in a chemically reduced state. Such organic nitrogen constitutes 1.5 to 5 per cent of the dry weight of higher plants, and 80 to 90 per cent of that is in protein. Despite the great abundance of dinitrogen gas in the atmosphere, the element is commonly deficient in agricultural soils in the oxidized (nitrate) and reduced (ammonium) forms which can be absorbed by plants. In aerated soils, bacteria quickly transform ammonium ions to nitrate, and the oxidized form is the principal in one plant nutrition. As a result of nitrogen's critical roles and http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Plant and Soil Springer Journals

Nitrogen and plant production

Novoa, R.; Loomis, R.
Plant and Soil , Volume 58 (3) – Sep 2, 2005
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References (173)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright
Subject
Life Sciences; Plant Sciences; Soil Science & Conservation; Plant Physiology; Ecology
ISSN
0032-079X
eISSN
1573-5036
DOI
10.1007/BF02180053
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

CHAPTER 7 R. NOVOA* and R. S. LOOMIS *IN1A, Castilla, Santiago, Chile Green plants play a unique role among living organisms through their ability to reduce carbon in photosynthesis. While reduced carbon provides the energy source for all life, nitrogen must be viewed as the central element because of its role in substances such as proteins and nucleic acids which form the living material. Proteins serve as enzyme catalysts in metabolic pathways, as structural elements of cytoplasm and membranes and as carriers in transport functions. Nucleic acids provide the means for codification, storage and translation of genetic information. In those and other organic materials, nitrogen appears in a chemically reduced state. Such organic nitrogen constitutes 1.5 to 5 per cent of the dry weight of higher plants, and 80 to 90 per cent of that is in protein. Despite the great abundance of dinitrogen gas in the atmosphere, the element is commonly deficient in agricultural soils in the oxidized (nitrate) and reduced (ammonium) forms which can be absorbed by plants. In aerated soils, bacteria quickly transform ammonium ions to nitrate, and the oxidized form is the principal in one plant nutrition. As a result of nitrogen's critical roles and

Journal

Plant and Soil – Springer Journals

Published: Sep 2, 2005

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