Nitrogen cycle

And HYBRIDISATION
LEARNING OBJECTIVE
 Explainthe importance of nitrogen cycle in agriculture.
 Describe the process of hybridisation.
How can we improve crop production?

 Using right amount of fertilisers and

manure.
 providing better irrigation facilities
to farmers.
 using good variety of seeds for
sowing.
 efficient storage methods.
 SCIENTISTS are using new
techniques like plant breeding.
Hybridisation
 Breeding or crossing between
two different varieties of a crop to
have desired qualities of both
parents in the offspring (hybrid) is
known as hybridisation.
 NITROGEN CYCLE
 The nitrogen cycle is a biogeochemical process which
transforms the inert nitrogen present in the atmosphere to
a more usable form for living organisms.
 Plants can not utilize atmospheric nitrogen directly
because it is an unreactive gas. It is to be converted to
nitrogen compounds which can be absorbed by the
plants from the soil.
 Nitrogen is important for all living organisms because it is
a component of proteins, vitamins,chlorophyll,DNA etc.
Steps in nitrogen cycle
1. Nitrogen fixation
2. Nitrogen Assimilation
3. Ammonification
4. Nitrification
5. Denitrification
STEP 1: Nitrogen fixation
 The process of converting atmospheric nitrogen to nitrogen
compounds is called nitrogen fixation.
1 )Biological fixation
free living bacteria like Azotobacter, Bacillus, Clostridium etc. convert
atmospheric nitrogen to nitrates
Rhizobium bacteria living in the root nodules convert atmospheric
nitrogen to nitrates
2) Industrial fixation - burning of fossil fuel produce nitrogen oxide
which dissolve in rain water (acid rain) which convert soil minerals to
nitrates
3) During lightning high voltage electricity combine nitrogen and
oxygen from the air to form nitrogen dioxide , which is converted to
nitrogen compounds
 STEP 2: Nitrogen Assimilation
The nitrogen compounds are used in the formation of plant and animal
proteins.
 STEP 3: Ammonification
Organic remains of plants and animals are broken down in the soil
by some bacteria to release ammonia into the soil. These dead and
waste matter is used by these microorganisms and they release
ammonia into the soil.
 STEP 4: Nitrification
This occurs in two-steps. The first step is in which ammonia is
converted to nitrates.
i The bacteria Nitrosomonas present in the soil
convert ammonia to nitrite, and another bacterium, Nitrobacter
converts nitrite to nitrates. These nitrates are absorbed by the plants
 STEP 5: Denitrification
This is the process by which nitrates are converted back into
atmospheric nitrogen
 Why nitrogen cycle is important??
a) It converts unreactive nitrogen into biological
compounds
b)Plants need nitrogen compounds to make chlorophyll
c) During ammonification bacteria degrade organic waste
and cleans the environment
d) Nitrites produced enrich the soil with nutrients
Draw in your notebook.

Assimilation