THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NITROGEN AND PLANT DEVELOPMENT AND THE WAYS IN WHICH IT IS AVAILABLE

Abstract

As an essential macronutrient in plant development, nitrogen participates in various metabolic processes and is directly linked to photosynthesis, a process that consists of the organic nutrition of plants. Although the atmosphere is rich in nitrogen, most of it is found in gaseous form (N2), making it impossible for some plants to use it directly. This is only possible in plants of the legume family, since they are capable of carrying out the process called biological nitrogen fixation (BNF). Nitrogen is the most widely used element in agriculture and is subject to huge losses during application, as it is highly volatile and highly mobile in the soil, leading to losses through leaching and surface run-off. Understanding its role in plants and the ways in which it is made available can contribute to better management and use of this extremely important element for agricultural production. The methodology used to carry out this work was bibliographical, with the aim of obtaining a critical view from a scientific point of view in relation to the importance of nitrogen for plant development, concluding this study with conditions that can contribute to better management of this macronutrient.