Join us for “The Story of Nitrogen,” a new 5-part audio series where we interview agronomists, ecologists, geologists, farmers and lake scientists, and explore how one nutrient shapes life in fields and streams, soil and sea.
A Video Introduction
Listen to the Trailer
Recommended Episode
Episode 1- The Leaky Barrel
How does nitrogen shape life in environments as diverse as cropland, lakes, and oceans? Why does nitrogen increase the abundance of life in some places while decreasi...
First Episodes
Episode 1- The Leaky Barrel
How does nitrogen shape life in environments as diverse as cropland, lakes, and oceans? Why does nitrogen increase the abundance of life in some places while decreasi...
Episode 2- The Leaky Barrel, continued
Many of our crops need less nitrogen fertilizer when grown after legumes, such as soybeans, alfalfa, or field peas. Legumes are plants that can take- or “fix”- nitroge...
Episode 3- Winners and Losers
Why do some creatures that live in the soil benefit from more nitrogen while others are harmed? This episode tackles the question of how soil microbes are affected by ...
Episode 4- The Soil Bank Account
In the Midwest, most of the nitrogen our crops use comes from organic matter in the soil rather than the fertilizers we apply. The amount of nitrogen the soil provides...