Thunder Storms and Nitrogen

[mirak]

Storms rolling through tonight. My grass was greening up fast already - this week it's gonna be lush. I know lightning provides nitrogen, but is it anything like spreading urea or much more minimal?

[LoneRanger]

This is a joke, right?

[MikeMikeMike]

Is what a joke? Lightning releasing nitrogen? That's very real. The amount of nitrates in rainwater would not be even close to the same as the amount in a nitrogen fertilizer.

A 2004 study of the chemical composition of rainwater at 48 sites in 31 states found nitrates in nearly all the samples, although there was a high degree of variation in both time and space. Several studies in the 1990s showed that locations along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico could expect to get 18 pounds of ammonium and nitrates per acre per year from rainwater. That's about a tenth of typical nitrogen requirements for growing crops.

source: http://sciencing.com/rainwater-contain- ... -8461.html

A very cool video from NOVA explaining this:
https://indiana.pbslearningmedia.org/re ... NlbGRLys_V

[mirak]

My grass greens up after thunder storms and I don't think it's just the water because I'm already irrigating. Sounds like the amount of nitrogen is fairly minimal or at least short-lived. Granular nitrogen is designed to slowly release over time.

[g-man]

Granular nitrogen is designed to slowly release over time.

Not all granular nitrogen is designed to slow release over time. For example, urea is fast release. Sometimes it is coated to slow the release.

The amount of nitrogen released from the air (78% nitrogen) via the electric discharge and then transported via the rain varies by region.

[LoneRanger]

.. but is it anything like spreading urea ..

Is what a joke?

That question.

[TimmyG]

It's like spreading urea very, very uniformly at a very, very low dose. Shame it doesn't happen every day, eh?

[MikeMikeMike]

Is what a joke?

That question.

You know the saying it's raining cats and dogs? I think we may need to start a new saying "It's raining bags of Milorganite and urea.