nitrogen fixation

1. The conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into compounds, such as ammonia, by natural agencies or various industrial processes.

2. The conversion by certain soil microorganisms, such as rhizobia, of atmospheric nitrogen into compounds that plants and other organisms can assimilate.

ni′tro·gen-fix′er (-fĭk′sər) n.

ni′tro·gen-fix′ing adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

nitrogen fixation

1. (Biology) the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into nitrogen compounds by certain bacteria, such as Rhizobium in the root nodules of legumes

2. (Chemistry) a process, such as the Haber process, in which atmospheric nitrogen is converted into a nitrogen compound, used esp for the manufacture of fertilizer

ˈnitrogen-ˌfixing adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ni′trogen fixa`tion

1. any process of combining atmospheric nitrogen with other elements, as used in the preparation of fertilizers and industrial products.

2. this process as performed by bacteria found in the nodules of leguminous plants, thereby making nitrogenous compounds available to the host plants.

[1890–95]

nitrogen fixation

The process by which free nitrogen from the air is combined with other elements to form organic compounds that plants can use as nutrients. Cyanobacteria and certain other forms of bacteria, especially those that live in the roots of legumes, convert gaseous nitrogen into organic compounds.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

nitrogen fixation

The conversion of nitrogen gas to nitrates by some bacteria.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

nitrogen fixation - the assimilation of atmospheric nitrogen by soil bacteria and its release for plant use on the death of the bacteria

biological process, organic process - a process occurring in living organisms

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References in periodicals archive

'These plants support a wealth of biodiversity, even in city parks, and white clover is ecologically important for pollinators and nitrogen fixation.'

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Release date- 01082019 - An interdisciplinary research collaboration between the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge has engineered a novel synthetic plant-microbe signalling pathway that could provide the foundation for transferring nitrogen fixation to cereals.

University of Oxford: Engineering new signalling networks to produce crops that need less fertiliser

Leguminous crops (Fabaceae family) improve soil fertility through nitrogen fixation with the help of rhizobia bacteria, which are found in their root nodules.

A guide to rotating crops on your farm

Under these growth conditions any organic [14N] found in the cyanobacterial cells would simply come from nitrogen fixation because [15N] was the only available source of nitrogen in the medium.

Novel Approach for the Determination of Nitrogen Fixation in Cyanobacteria

We hold a patent that covers our nitrogen production and the development of a non-transgenic microbe for nitrogen fixation. Ultimately, Pivot Bio has a solution that is easy for the farmer to use, field applicable, and commercially viable.

MEETING CROPS' DAILY NITROGEN NEEDS

One is the requirement of chemically-expensive ATP (adenosine triphosphate), a source of energy in cells and in nitrogen fixation. Milton says that reengineering the reaction to circumvent the need for ATP would take the fuel cell "to the next level."

Flipping the Switch on Ammonia Production

Microorganisms were cultured in nitrogen free broth and the microorganisms, which had the nitrogen fixation process, could grow on top or surface.

Screening of Microorganisms from Homemade Biofertilizers to Promote Plant Growth

Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) by legumes contribute to recycling N in cropping systems.

Biological Nitrogen Fixation by Local and Improved Genotypes of Cowpea in Burkina Faso (West Africa): Total Nitrogen Accumulated can be used for Quick Estimation

There is much less research on the economics of nitrogen fixation from legumes than there is on the economics of nitrogen fertiliser.

Economic perspectives on nitrogen in farming systems: managing trade-offs between production, risk and the environment