(commercial fertilizers) Component Input to soil Loss from soil The Nitrogen Cycle Atmospheric nitrogen Atmospheric fixation and deposition Industrial fixation (commercial fertilizers) Crop harvest Animal manures and biosolids Volatilization Plant residues Runoff and erosion Biological fixation by legume plants Plant uptake Denitrification Organic nitrogen Nitrate (NO3) Ammonium (NH4) - Immobilization + Leaching Mineralization
The Phosphorus Cycle Crop Atmospheric harvest deposition Animal Component Input to soil Loss from soil The Phosphorus Cycle Crop harvest Atmospheric deposition Animal manures and biosolids Mineral fertilizers Plant residues Runoff and erosion Primary minerals (apatite) Organic phosphorus Microbial Plant residue Humus Plant uptake Mineral surfaces (clays, Fe and Al oxides, carbonates) Weathering Adsorption Immobilization Mineralization Soil solution phosphorus HPO4-2 H2PO4-1 Desorption Secondary compounds (CaP, FeP, MnP, AlP) Dissolution Leaching (usually minor) Precipitation
The Potassium Cycle Animal manures Crop and biosolids harvest Plant Component Input to soil Loss from soil The Potassium Cycle Animal manures and biosolids Crop harvest Plant residues Mineral fertilizers Runoff and erosion Exchangeable potassium Plant uptake Soil solution potassium (K+) Fixed potassium Mineral potassium Leaching
The Sulfur Cycle - Atmospheric sulfur Volatilization Atmospheric Component Input to soil Loss from soil The Sulfur Cycle Atmospheric sulfur Volatilization Atmospheric deposition Crop harvest SO2 gas Mineral fertilizers Plant residues Animal manures and biosolids Elemental sulfur Runoff and erosion Absorbed or mineral sulfur Plant uptake Oxidation Organic sulfur Bacterial oxidation Reduced sulfur Immobilization Sulfate Sulfur (SO4) Bacterial reduction Mineralization - Leaching