"Traditional agriculturalists had two options for recycling nitrogen back into the soil. "The first drew on the miracle of peas and beans. Most crops can’t use nitrogen in its atmospheric form. **Legumes are special because they can pull it out of the air and create usable nitrogen on their own**. When you plant legumes you’re adding nitrogen into the soil. Not so much that you have an endless supply, but enough to add a decent amount. ([Location 2489](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C3X6X695&location=2489)) "The second option was to **raise livestock and put manure on the fields**. This was an effective way to add nutrients to the soil, but you needed tonnes of the stuff. It was hard work to gather, and a lot of the nutrients leaked into the surrounding environment rather than being taken up by the crops. ([Location 2492](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C3X6X695&location=2492))" --- **Tags** -- [[quotes]], [[fertilisers]], [[legumes]], [[fertilisers]], [[farming]], [[food-production]], [[food-emissions]], [[nitrogen]], **Source** -- [[260103133118 - B - Not the End of the World]]