Organic Nitrogen

Nitrogen compounds within a soil in organic form, including amino acids, chitin, peptides, and proteins, being components that arise from dead bacteria, fungi and invertebrates, as well as form root exudates and dead roots, along with any applied organic material as part of a top-dressing. The nitrogen is only made available (as inorganic nitrogen) to plants following breakdown of the compounds as part of the mineralisation process by micro-organisms. Nearly all nitrogen within a soil is held as organic nitrogen.