Quote:
Originally Posted by Lagniappe
O.k., a friend just explained to me that the analysis would be derived from the end product of decomposition. Is this correct? I would certainly have thought that a product containing 15% protein would yield much more nitrogen than a puny 2% (over time).
|
Yes, a molecule of ammonia (NH3) weighs more than a nitrogen atom itself but there is no more nitrogen than there was before. Analysis of the
elements stays the same.
The amount of nitrogen in there is the amount of nitrogen in there, whether is is immediately, quickly, or slowly available to a plant. Nitrogen is an element and you won't get more of it by letting it combine with something else. {Unless you have the use of a fusion reactor or the core of an old, late stage star.}
As for the nitrogen in the protein, in Big Round Numbers (tm), nitrogen is typically about 15-16% of the weight of protein. If alfalfa is 15% protein (I will take your word for it), 0.15 x 0.15 = 0.025 = 2.5% hmmmm that's the 2% N we were talking about. I doubt that you will find much nitrogen in alfalfa outside of the protein.
K / Adrift