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It has been said here that nitrogen is all the same regardless of source. Science disagrees with that. Scientists can distinguish between synthetic nitrogen and natural soil nitrogen in plants.
If scientists can do that, doesn't it follow that those plants also not only can distinguish but do so consistently.
"Using sensitive laboratory equipment, previous researchers associated slight variations in heavier nitrogen (15N) and oxygen (18O) isotopes with various nitrogen sources and the microbial nitrogen cycling processes of nitrification and denitrification.
"We can think of nitrogen and oxygen isotopes as a fingerprint to identify the sources of nitrate and how it's being recycled by microbial processes," Yu said. "Different sources have different isotope ratios, just like humans have different fingerprints."
Yu added that nitrate derived from inorganic fertilizer has a lower isotope ratio, with fewer heavy nitrogens and oxygens, than bulk soil organic nitrogen sources."
"In a series of studies, that group used labeled isotope techniques to trace nitrogen uptake in corn plants, finding that less than half of fertilizer nitrogen is used by the plants; instead, corn took up most of its nitrogen from the soil."
The legacy of corn nitrogen fertilizer: Study shows lengthy impact in tile drained systems
If scientists can do that, doesn't it follow that those plants also not only can distinguish but do so consistently.
"Using sensitive laboratory equipment, previous researchers associated slight variations in heavier nitrogen (15N) and oxygen (18O) isotopes with various nitrogen sources and the microbial nitrogen cycling processes of nitrification and denitrification.
"We can think of nitrogen and oxygen isotopes as a fingerprint to identify the sources of nitrate and how it's being recycled by microbial processes," Yu said. "Different sources have different isotope ratios, just like humans have different fingerprints."
Yu added that nitrate derived from inorganic fertilizer has a lower isotope ratio, with fewer heavy nitrogens and oxygens, than bulk soil organic nitrogen sources."
"In a series of studies, that group used labeled isotope techniques to trace nitrogen uptake in corn plants, finding that less than half of fertilizer nitrogen is used by the plants; instead, corn took up most of its nitrogen from the soil."
The legacy of corn nitrogen fertilizer: Study shows lengthy impact in tile drained systems
