Beyond N-P-K

Healthy crops in nitrogen enriched soil.

Fields that have been fertilized with 200 lbs of commercial nitrogen per acre have had equal or greater yields as fields fertilized with 150-170 lbs of biosolids. A single biosolid application generally supplies all the required nitrogen and phosphorus that a crop desires, but that is only one of the initial benefits. The nitrogen in biosolids is in both organic and ammonia forms, and therefore the nitrogen release rate mirrors the nitrogen demand of corn, making sufficient nitrogen available in the plant’s final development stages. In addition, a small portion of the organic nitrogen breaks down more slowly, making carryover nitrogen available in the following years, which also maintains soil microorganism activity. In most cases, biosolids will also supply any soil deficiency in zinc, copper, and molybdenum.