A nitrogen fixation package is a piece of research equipment for studying

nitrogen fixation Nitrogen fixation is a chemical process by which molecular dinitrogen () is converted into ammonia (). It occurs both biologically and abiological nitrogen fixation, abiologically in chemical industry, chemical industries. Biological nitrogen ...

in plants. One product of this kind, the Q-Box NF1LP made by Qubit Systems, operates by measuring the

hydrogen Hydrogen is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol H and atomic number 1. It is the lightest and abundance of the chemical elements, most abundant chemical element in the universe, constituting about 75% of all baryon, normal matter ...

(H₂) given off in the nitrogen-fixing chemical reaction enabled by

nitrogenase Nitrogenases are enzymes () that are produced by certain bacteria, such as cyanobacteria (blue-green bacteria) and rhizobacteria. These enzymes are responsible for the reduction of nitrogen (N2) to ammonia (NH3). Nitrogenases are the only fa ...

enzymes.

Principle of operation

Nitrogen is produced by bacteria, which have an endo-symbiotic relationship with the

legume Legumes are plants in the pea family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seeds of such plants. When used as a dry grain for human consumption, the seeds are also called pulses. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consum ...

host. In this relationship, the plant shares its

carbohydrate A carbohydrate () is a biomolecule composed of carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O) atoms. The typical hydrogen-to-oxygen atomic ratio is 2:1, analogous to that of water, and is represented by the empirical formula (where ''m'' and ''n'' ...

s with the bacteria so that the bacteria can thrive, and the plant benefits by having excess nitrogen made available. The bacteria's creation of nitrogen also creates hydrogen, which is what the unit measures to determine the nitrogen produced. Measurement of H₂ evolution as a means of determining nitrogenase activity is an alternative technique to

acetylene Acetylene (Chemical nomenclature, systematic name: ethyne) is a chemical compound with the formula and structure . It is a hydrocarbon and the simplest alkyne. This colorless gas is widely used as a fuel and a chemical building block. It is u ...

reduction assay, and allows real-time monitoring of changes in nitrogenase activity.

Product description

Q-Box NF1LP is an experimental package using an open-flow

gas exchange Gas exchange is the physical process by which gases move passively by diffusion across a surface. For example, this surface might be the air/water interface of a water body, the surface of a gas bubble in a liquid, a gas-permeable membrane, or a b ...

system for measurement of nitrogen fixation in H₂-producing legume symbioses. A flow-through H₂ sensor (Q-S121) measures the production rate of H₂ from N₂-fixing tissues, allowing in vivo measurement of nitrogenase activity in real time. Measurements of nitrogenase activity on up to three plants is possible, i.e. a four-channel system including a reference sample.

Operation

Nitrogen fixation packages must be used in a laboratory-type environment. This can be a temporary laboratory set up in the field, as long as it is under stable, uncontaminated conditions. The product must be supplied with many potted samples of the plants and of the neighbouring soil, taken from separate areas on the farm or field under study. The tests rely on the availability of the Herbaspirillum bacteria in the soil. This bacterium is found at the root of most legumes, which is where they produce nitrogen. To test soil properly, it must be free of added nitrogen fertilizers, which have harmful effects on the Herbaspirillum bacteria needed for fixation.

Applications

Different aspects of nitrogen fixation can be examined with these products, such as effects of temperature on the fixation process, the regulation of the process by

oxygen Oxygen is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group (periodic table), group in the periodic table, a highly reactivity (chemistry), reactive nonmetal (chemistry), non ...

, and the inhibition of nitrogen fixation by an over-abundance of

fertilizer A fertilizer or fertiliser is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from liming materials or other non-nutrient soil amendments. Man ...

References

External links

* {{cite web, title=Q-Box NF1LP Nitrogen Fixation Package - Qubit Biology Inc., url=http://www.qubitbiology.com/plant-and-soil/q-box-nf1lp-nitrogen-fixation-package/, publisher=Qubit Biology Inc., accessdate=11 January 2016, language=en-US Microbiology equipment Nitrogen cycle