Nitrogen proves healthy for soil

An Iowa State University (ISU) report shows applying nitrogen fertilizer at certain levels to various crops helps maintain carbon in the soil, bringing a range of environmental and production benefits. ISU agronomy professor Michael Castellano co-authored the study and says there’s long been disagreement among scientists and growers over fertilizer’s impact on the soil. “A lot of folks are under the impression that nitrogen fertilizer, particularly anhydrous ammonia, it may be bad for soil health, it may degrade the carbon and the organic matter in our soil,” Castellano says. “We found just the opposite in our studies across the state, all the way from northwestern to southeastern Iowa.” More