With so much global uncertainty around fertiliser supplies, not to mention the fuel cost of applying it, there has never been a better time to tap in to what is already available within your soil and via soil-based biological processes.
The 2026 forecast is not good for urea. Over two thirds of Australia’s supply currently comes from the Middle East. War is dramatically increasing price and reducing availability.
- The price of crude oil (the raw material for urea) is through the roof.
- Transport through the straight of Hormuz is closed.
- Middle eastern urea production plants have stopped operating, and even if they came back online tomorrow there would be a long lag until supplies were available again.
Are we screwed without urea?
No.
While it’s true that many Aussie farmers have a dependency on urea, there are other ways to get nitrogen into the plant. But we do have to do things very differently, and it won’t necessarily be easy. Applying urea is fairly simple. There is much more complexity to the alternative, which is activating the biological nitrogen cycle. In the long run though, we predict that it will be far more reliable, efficient and profitable.
Nitrogen (N) basics:
- N makes up 78% of our atmosphere. It cycles into plants and animals, land and water, being ‘fixed’ from the atmosphere via lightening and bacteria.
- N moves through several forms to be able to be used by plants. Microbes can facilitate this also.
- N is quite volatile in some forms, and often volatolises back into the atmosphere or dissolves into water to be carried away. N in organic forms (ie living bodies and their byproducts) is more stable.
- All organic material contains N. It is a key building block in all protein.
- Synthetic forms of N fertilisers are made from fossil fuels in a factory.
- Plants know how to get their own N
How plants get nitrogen
‘Wild’ plants obtain their N through rain, and via relationships with soil microbes and animals, including:
- Bacteria in root nodules of legumes
- Free-living nitrogen fixing bacteria in soil
- The ‘rhizophagy cycle’ whereby plants ‘eat’ microbes at their root tips
- Dung and decomposing bodies of animals, invertebrates and microbes in and above soil
- Earthworms, whose N-rich secretions line their tunnels
But can plants get enough N to support the high levels of production we need for food supply without N fertilisers?
In short, yes, in most cases.
Production may even increase! However, it is best managed carefully to avoid a drop in production, especially in the first year (see Dr Christine Jones video link, below).
First steps to activating the biological N cycle
If you are a farmer, you can invest in enhancing the natural nitrogen cycle. Abundant, diverse soil life is key. The only way to truly get this is via diverse plants and good management.
How can you incorporate some different plant families into your production setting?
The first step for many people will be to increase species diversity. Jena Experiment research out of Germany for example shows that the more functional groups (i.e. grasses, legumes, tall and short forbs) are in a pasture, the less chance any of those plants are to demonstrate a deficiency. There is opportunity here to be creative and do it in a way that works for your unique operation.
Additionally, if this first step involves seeding, the N cycle can be amplified by excluding the use of starter ferts, and by using a bioprimer such as Biocast on the seed.
How Biocast can help:
Applied as a seed bioprimer, it connects the newly sprouting plant to the soil microbiome immediately. The young plant gets its needs met by those microbes without fertilisers. Learn more about seed dressing
Applied as a foliar, it boosts plant health and vigour, enabling plants to maintain or expand the positive microbial connections and stimulate soil building. Biocast is also an excellent complement to a foliar nutrition program. Learn more about foliar application
Recommended viewing: The Nitrogen Solution
This Dr Christine Jones video is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED viewing to understand how you can optimise N cycling:
The Nitrogen Solution with Green Cover Seeds https://youtu.be/dr0y_EEKO9o?si=w7jPj9D-rYNwDfqK
Cliff notes:
As well as the above points in much greater detail, Christine notes that realistically, it will take time to fully activate nitrogen cycling. Depending on the state of your soil microbes, it could take three+ years, and you may need supplemental N in the mean time in whatever form you can find. The key is not to overdo it, so the plant maintains its relationship with the soil microbes. As a weaning program, she suggests:
Year 1: reduce N fertilisation by 20% and avoid putting it near the seed. [Note: if you use Biocast as a seed primer you may be able to reduce it by much more than this].
Year 2: Reduce another 30%
Year 3: Reduce a further 50%
She suggests monitoring via plant tissue tests to look for deficiencies, and address them efficiently via foliar feeding. She also suggests that protein hydrolysate is a good option for supplemental N, and it is in the amino acid form so it won’t inhibit the functioning of the soil microbiome.
If you would like to make your own protein hydrolysate check out the recipe by Gerry Gillespie: https://www.gerrygillespie.net/uploads/4/5/6/5/45656863/bioferments_biostimulants_and_biofertilizers_-_pdf_2nd_may_2019.pdf