The Path to Sustainable Nitrogen Management: It's Time to Get Serious.

Organic soil fertility management draws heavily from an ecological framework and seeks to manage plants, soil organic matter and soil organisms to maintain internal cycling capacity with the intention of managing the full range of soil organic matter pools, ranging from “active” organic matter to stabilized organic matter. By intentionally managing soil organic matter and maintaining a robust community of soil microorganisms the capacity of the soil to deliver nutrients to plants is enhanced. This holistic view is the basis for soil fertility management practices used in organic agriculture.

There are three sources of fixed nitrogen that can be used in crop production. The first, most widely used source is various fertilizers derived from the Haber-Bosch process which are used extensively in conventional, industrial agriculture. The second, biological nitrogen fixation accounts for about 30% of the new nitrogen supporting conventional agriculture. The third, consists of a group of relatively minor nitrogen sources derived from harvested or mined resources including various fertilizers containing fish wastes or mined salts such as Chilean nitrates. Organic farmers typically combine the use of leguminous cover crops with additions of composts or animal manures in varying proportions. In some types of farming systems, such as grain production, biological nitrogen fixation accounts for the majority of newly added nitrogen. However, others, such as most fresh vegetable enterprises are indirectly depended on Haber-Bosch nitrogen through the use of animal based composts as the major nitrogen source. How can certification regulations be modified to support the transition to biological nitrogen fixation?