nitrogen.mep 20/10/2004 10:16 Page 1
UNDERSTANDING NITROGEN AND ITS USE IN AGRICULTURE
The ability of plants to use simple forms of mineral nitrogen and to transform them into complex proteins is fundamental to animal life on earth. As mankind began to overcome the population-limiting diseases of previous centuries, the major constraint to the growth of population was food, and without the early discovery of a method of fixing nitrogen from the atmosphere there would have been widespread starvation. This booklet describes the technology and science which underpins the European nitrogen fertilizer industry today, and its provision of a primary plant nutrient which allows the people of Europe to enjoy a plentiful supply of essential food.
Published by
European Fertilizer Manufacturers Association
European Fertilizer Manufacturers' Association Avenue E. van Nieuwenhuyse 4 B-1160 Brussels Belgium Tel + 32 2 675 35 50 Fax + 32 2 675 39 61 E-mail main@efma.be www.efma.org
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