The Nitrogen Problem

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4. Fixing Nitrogen is late 1800 technology

Last edited Tue Feb 23, 2016, 04:41 PM - Edit history (4)

The use of electricity to produce nitrogen rich fertilizer has been around since the late 1800s, received a big boost between 1914 and 1918 when Germany was cut off from natural Nitrogen deposits by the British Blockade and had to resort to electrical fixing of Nitrogen for use in making explosives. This technology is fully developed and a lack of Nitrogen is NOT a concern today.

Another article tying Nitrogen Fertilizer with Ammunition making (in this article they mention diversifying crops, beans, for example, are nitrogen fixing crop, beans will remove nitrogen from the Air into the soil):

http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2013/04/history-nitrogen-fertilizer-ammonium-nitrate

The real concern is Phosphorus. Unlike Nitrogen which is in the air and easily fixed into fertilizers. Phosphorus is imported into the US at the present time and at present rate of consumption may be depleted by 2100 (and 94% of Urine is Phosphorus).

http://www.dailyyonder.com/forget-oil-worry-about-phosphorus/2010/09/13/2929/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphorus#White_phosphorus_and_related_molecular_forms


As a general rule Fertilizers have three components (Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K):

Koske explains the first number of the left-to-right sequence always is the percentage of nitrogen (N). The second is the percentage of phosphorus (P) as expressed in phosphate, which Koske notes is not pure phosphorus. The third number is the percentage of potassium (K) as expressed in the oxide called K20 equivalent.

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/topics/lawn_garden/home_gardening/flowers/understand-fertilizer-numbers

three main macronutrients:

Nitrogen (N): leaf growth;

Phosphorus (P): Development of roots, flowers, seeds, fruit;

Potassium (K): Strong stem growth, movement of water in plants, promotion of flowering and fruiting;

three secondary macronutrients: calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulphur (S);

micronutrients: copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), zinc (Zn), boron (B), and of occasional significance there are silicon (Si), cobalt (Co), and vanadium (V) plus rare mineral catalysts.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertilizer

Potash is Potassium in a water soluble form:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potash

Potash is presently mined, but can be obtained from trees (ashes of broad-leaved trees were the main source of lye which then made into Potash prior to the 20th century). Again Potash is NOT is short supply and can still be obtain from trees is other sources are used up (and it is possible to extract it from Sea Water, but that is only experimental at the present time):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potash#Production

Thus the big concern is Phosphorus, that has no other sources except actual mines.