# Nitrogen in rainfall



## Monocot Master (Feb 28, 2021)

I once heard an ag extension agent mention nitrogen in rainfall that is available for uptake. Aside from other properties of rainfall and complete ground coverage, I wonder if the N may be contributing to the green up you get after a rain? Also, thunderstorm rain has more nitrogen than just plain old rain. What are you thoughts and experience with all this? Thanks in advance


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

You are not going to get any significant Nitrogen out of rainfall. While I do agree that the grass usually responds better to rainfall then it does to irrigation, I'm sure there are other factors involved for this observation.


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## corneliani (Apr 2, 2019)

They were probably referring to the nitrogen fixation process, where the heat/pressure from lightning storms break up the atmospheric nitrogen and it gets washed down into the soil with the rain. But it requires lightning strikes for that process to happen.


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## Lawn Whisperer (Feb 15, 2021)

I think it's more on acidic ph of the rain making the nutrient in the soil more available temporarily.


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## corneliani (Apr 2, 2019)

Lawn Whisperer said:


> I think it's more on acidic ph of the rain making the nutrient in the soil more available temporarily.


Didn't think of that. Very plausible.


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## dicko1 (Oct 25, 2019)

I always though of it as the rain dissolving all the slow release fertilizer I put down. The last measurable rain we've had here was around mid April and I did an early May fertilizer application. I'm sure the prills are still there, lying in the turf, just waiting for some water to release their nitrogen goodness.


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## CarolinaCuttin (Sep 6, 2019)

Lighting contributes to some environmental nitrogen given to the plant and certainly acid rain in soils that aren't ideal can liberate some nutrients, but I think the main reason you see this (especially when it's warm) is because of the mineralization of organic nitrogen. This biological process converts organic matter to actual mineral nitrogen that the plant can take up, and it requires soils that are both warm and moist.

The amount of nitrogen released through mineralization is not trivial, a typical estimate is that it runs between 1 to 2 pounds of actual N per year per 1000 square feet on the east coast depending on soils, rainfall, and temperatures.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

^ this +1.

The lighting does warm up the air around it that transforms the nitrogen in the air around it to a plant available type, but it is very very minimal plus it distributed thru the entire area.


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## LeeB (Jul 1, 2019)

https://www3.epa.gov/airmarkets/progress/reports/acid_deposition_figures.html#figure2

Some of it comes from acid rain due to industrial pollution and other sources (see map). @Monocot Master it looks like you might still be near a hot spot due to industry or farming activity in the region.

Interestingly, if you look at the sulfur map, you can see a huge reduction in the W Pennsylvania area. This is mostly due to emissions regulations being implemented on coal power plants in the region, which have reduced the amounts of sulfuric acid rain significantly. It was an issue for farmers because they now have to put sulfur on their fields whereas before there was enough from all the pollution.


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