How might better knowledge of the nitrogen and carbon cycles improve the practice of industrial farming?

Question

How might better knowledge of the nitrogen and carbon cycles improve the practice of industrial farming that is so prevalent in the U.S. today?

Answer 1

Fleur, I have a PhD in agronomy and plant breeding (retired to farming). I have a very good understanding of both the nitrogen and carbon cycles, and guess what? I'm not half the farmer of my neighbors who have farmed all of their lives. Though, I hope they don't read this, I would never want to know that I admitted it.

Answer 2

If anything it will show them the error of their ways, that any time you attempt to short cut nature and manipulate her, the cycle will be damaged and that will show somewhere else in a very negative way. This is the cause of all the problems we see now. One needs to work with the cycles to their advantage or the short term gains will be a long term downfall.

Answer 3

Plants need nitrogen for leaf growth and carbon for sugar/energy conversion(photosynthesis).

If the correct amounts are available, then the crops will grow to their maximum, thus pruducing higher yields.