Amide nitrogen

With urea , all of the nitrogen is in the form of amide nitrogen

As the amide nitrogen in the form of is amides available nitrogen content designated in a compound. In the case of fertilizers, it usually refers to the nitrogen content found in urea . The term is used to differentiate it from other nitrogen components in fertilizers such as ammonium nitrogen or nitrate nitrogen . The sum of the various nitrogen components gives the total nitrogen in a fertilizer. The indication of the nitrogen content of a fertilizer allows a simple comparison of different fertilizers; Production quantities of fertilizers are also often published on the basis of the nitrogen content.

Amide nitrogen in nitrogen fertilizers is not directly available to plants and must be converted into nitrite (NO ₂ ^- ) and nitrate (NO ₃ ^- ) in the soil by an enzymatic process known as nitrification using urease and other enzymes via ammonium (NH ₄ ⁺ ) .

${\displaystyle \mathrm {H_{2}N{-}CO{-}NH_{2}+2\ H_{2}O\longrightarrow 2\ NH_{4}^{+}+CO_{3}^{2-}} }$

${\displaystyle \mathrm {2\ NH_{4}^{+}+3\ O_{2}\longrightarrow \ 2\ NO_{2}^{\,-}+\ 4\ H^{+}+2\ H_{2}O} }$

${\displaystyle \mathrm {2\ NO_{2}^{\,-}+\ O_{2}\longrightarrow \ 2\ NO_{3}^{\,-}} }$

At higher pH values, losses can occur if ammonia (NH ₃ ) or nitrogen escapes in gaseous form.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Günter Vollmer, Manfred Franz: Chemical products in everyday life . Georg Thieme, Stuttgart 1985, ISBN 3-13-670201-8 , p. 349.
2. ↑ urea or nitrate nitrogen? Borealis LAT GmbH, accessed on September 17, 2015 .