The Nitro-Mag Fertilizer Complex and the Soil Biologicals Complex

In the paper explaining the Nitro Mag Complex, I touched on the compatibility of Nitro-Mag with many of the Biological agronomic products on the market.  As crop producers shift towards soil health fertility programs, how will those biological products work within the soil chemistry and with traditional fertilizers.   How do common fertilizers affect the overall stasis of the soil biosphere and do they support or disrupt the workings of the microbial populations?

Fertilizer efficiency, soil health, nutrient availability along with increased root mass are just a few of the reasons that growers are seeking out answers.  Inoculants, enzyme packages, humic and fulvic acids, microbial boosters, and soil stimulants are being studied and integrated into many growers’ fertility and soil health programs.    

Stasis is where soil organisms remain physically unchanged due to a stable environment.   Soil environments can be harsh and unforgiving.  Many soil types can be amended to become more receptive of healthy biological activity.  Some soils will require amendments in smaller banded zones to overcome such barriers as high pH ranges not conducive to soil biological health. 

Soil microbes require air, food, water, and a stable environment in which to flourish.  The first three are achieved by using farming techniques to fight compaction, incorporate residue and allow for soil water percolation.  Achieving a stable environment is not so easy.

 Healthy soil biome enables:

·       Nutrient cycling and availability – Soil organisms break down organic matter releasing essential nutrients in plant available forms.

·       Improved soil structure – Microbes and fungi help form stable soil aggregates increasing porosity and reducing compaction.  

·       Water regulation and retention – Healthy soils regulate where water goes, absorbing and holding moisture more effectively.

·       Disease and pest suppression – Diverse microbial communities naturally suppress harmful pathogens and pests by producing protective compounds.

·       Symbiotic relationships – Mycorrhizal fungi and nitrogen-fixing bacteria form partnerships with plant roots expanding nutrient uptake and improving plant vigor.

·       Organic matter buildup – As soil life thrives, organic matter increases.

·       Carbon sequestrations and long-term sustainability – Healthy soil stores more carbon, which improves soil function.  

One product in a bottle cannot repair completely what is broken.  Various forms of inputs aimed at soil health and vigor over time will make a difference.  Using regenerative practices like cover cropping, crop rotation along with minimum tillage methods that enhance biological activity, is key to sustainability.   Discontinuation of known biological suppressors such as Anhydrous Ammonia, excessive tillage and using fertility products that are not compatible with biological activity to name a few.  A thriving soil ecosystem is a living system filled with bacteria, fungi, invertebrates, and organic matter all working together to support plant health, growth, and yield.

How Nitro-Mag works with the biological ecosystem:   

Nitro-Mag is a low salt liquid Urea fertilizer that features a Stabilized Melted Urea along with the addition of available Magnesium, Chloride, and Boron.  All these nutrients play vital roles in root development, plant health, chlorophyll production, plant moisture management, and increase yield. 

As described in the Nitro-Mag Complex paper a deeper look into the chemistry of this unique fertilizer reveals that one of its many benefits is that it has a composition which produces a neutrally charged urea-magnesium coordination complex.   This neutral charge contributes to lower stress on the microbial populations in the soil. 

This advantage provides:

·      Fewer free ions in the soil.

·      Lower electrical conductivity.

·      Less osmotic shock to microbes

·      A gentler micro-environment for biologicals to survive and multiply.  

Commonly used fertility products such as Ammonium Sulfate, UAN or Nitrates can stress microbial populations.  

Urea based Nitrogen is Microbe-Friendly due to:

·      Urea provides both carbon and nitrogen.

·      Does not create immediate ammonium toxicity.

·      Avoids the harsh pH spikes that rapid hydrolysis creates.

·      Supports heterotrophic microbial growth.  

Rapid hydrolysis refers to how rapidly urea is converted to ammonium in the soil.  The moment NH2 or urea encounters soil moisture along with the urease enzymes the hydrolysis begins.  Stabilization of NH2 keeps that from being immediate.  

Heterotrophic microbial growth concerns soil organisms that cannot make their own carbon.  They must consume that carbon from their environment.  Urea is a carbon + nitrogen source which is ideal for Heterotrophic microbes.   Nitro Mag enhances the Heterotrophic microbes by helping create soil conditions that will allow them to flourish.

The Magnesium in Nitro-Mag is a core enzyme cofactor for microbes.  Soil biology depends on Magnesium for:

·      ATP stabilization.

·      DNA/RNA synthesis

·      Nitrogenase activity in N-fixing organisms.

·      Ribosome assembly.

·      Membrane transport.

ATP Stabilization:

ATP or Adenosine Triphosphate is the energy molecule that processes microbial growth and activity in the soil.  The three phosphate molecules in ATP all have a negative charge and repel each other.  The Magnesium in Nitro Mag binds the ATP into a form that microbial enzymes can use.  Every microbial action from growth, enzyme production, nutrient cycling, and respiration requires Mg-ATP. 

Nitro-Mag then supplies the exact cation (plus charge) that microbes need to stabilize ATP and run their energy systems efficiently.  This is another reason Nitro-Mag supports biological activity instead of stressing it.  

DNA Synthesis:

This is how microbes grow and repair themselves.  Microbes are constantly dividing and repairing DNA damage.  This requires DNA Polymerase, the enzyme that builds new DNA strands.   DNA Polymerase cannot function without Magnesium. 

Magnesium is required for binding nucleotides, forming the DNA backbone, and allowing microbes to reproduce and maintain genetic stability.  If Mg2 is limited there will be reduced biological activity and less genetic efficiency.   Nitro Mag helps supply the needed Magnesium to support biological health.

Nitrogenase Activity:

Nitrogenase is an enzyme used by nitrogen-fixing microbes to convert atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into usable plant nitrogen in the soil.  

Nitrogenase enzymes are energy intensive that require large amounts of ATP, a stable Mg-ATP complex, a metal rich environment including Mg, Fe, and Molybdenum.  Magnesium is key providing a low-stress environment for the Nitrogenase enzymes.

Nitro-Mag helps support nitrogen fixing microbes (biologicals) in the soil.  

These three critical microbial processes will benefit from Magnesium in Nitro-Mag. 

·      ATP Stabilization

·      DNA Synthesis

·      Nitrogenase Activity

Nitro-Mag is not only compatible with added biological products; it is biochemically supportive of the core processes that make biologicals work.  

Chloride Isn’t the Enemy, Sodium is. 

A common misconception is that Chloride equals a high Salt Index.  Nitro-Mag has a Salt Index of 20 to 24 which is low for Nitrogen fertilizer.  UAN 32% Nitrogen has a Salt Index of 74 which is high.  The Chloride in Nitro Mag is low enough not to raise the Salt Index levels.   Chloride will not disperse soil structure, will not damage microbial membranes and will not accumulate inside plant cells.  Sodium based salts will contribute to all of those.

 Nitro-Mag is Compatible with Humic, Fulvic, and Cabon Sources.

 When Fulvic Acid is added to Nitro Mag it helps stabilize the Nitro-Mag Complex.  Fulvic is nature’s Chelator.  Chelation improves all nutrient uptake from the roots and the carbon in Nitro Mag helps feed microbial respiration.  This synergy is one reason growers see stronger root development and better nutrient efficiency from biological products being added to Nitro-Mag.

The Bottom Line:

Nitro-Mag is one of the most biologically compatible nitrogen sources available on the market.  Its neutral charge, low effective salt load, magnesium-rich structure, and easy hydrolysis curve create an environment where biological can thrive.  Nitro-Mag will feed the crop without fighting the soil biology.  In supporting biological activities instead of suppressing them, Nitro-Mag becomes an ideal partner for biological soil amendments, inoculants and carbon-based fertility programs.  

Read more about Nitro-Mag in "The Basics of Nitro-Mag" HERE

Marcus Dennis