So, I recently watched a video regarding the first synthesized fertilizer, and I thought it was pretty interesting that farmland was basically screwed if they didn’t figure out how to get more nitrogen into dirt.
But then I thought about it, I was taught that plants make the bulk of themselves out of carbon, which they absorb from the air in carbon dioxide. Why is the same not true with nitrogen? Our atmosphere is a little more than 2/3rds nitrogen after all.
I tried looking it up, but the result was basically “Because nitrogen in the atmosphere is in a gaseous form” but that wasn’t really helpful.
In: 91
Nitrogen in the air is found in a molecule that is like a coconut. Without a tool like a hammer (or the chemical equivalent, which plants don’t have) it’s really hard to break open and get to the good stuff. Nitrogen in the ground is found in a molecule that is like a banana. It’s easy to peel and get to the good stuff.
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