SYSTEM AND PROCESS FOR QUANTIFYING POTENTIALLY MINERALIZABLE NITROGEN FOR AGRICULTURAL CROP PRODUCTION

• Main Authors: WILSON, JR. CHARLES E, SLAYTON NATHAN A, ROBERTS TRENTON L, NORMAN RICHARD J
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 18.09.2014
• Subjects: GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MEASURING; PHYSICS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TESTING

The invention is generally directed to a system and process for fluorometrically quantifying potentially mineralizable nitrogen for agricultural crop production. The soil analysis process measures potentially mineralizable nitrogen and calibrates the application of soil-based nitrogen for site or field specific management of nitrogen fertilizers for crops grown on a wide variety of soil textures including sandy loam, silt loam and clay soils. The spectrofluorometric system and process may be utilized for routine soil testing with a lower sample to sample variability, and the automation of the spectrofluorometric system and process allows for simultaneous determination of potentially mineralizable soil organic nitrogen, ammonium and nitrate.