Bio-N: A Natural Pathway to Sustainable Nitrogen

Soil Fertility Services Ltd
Sep 22
3 min read

Across agriculture, how we manage nitrogen is critical to both food security and environmental sustainability. Synthetic fertilisers have long driven productivity, but their environmental footprint is under growing scrutiny—due to energy-intensive production, greenhouse gas emissions, and nutrient pollution. To meet net-zero targets and create healthier soils and waterways, innovative nitrogen solutions are now essential.

At SFS, we believe in working with natural processes rather than against them. Bio-N embodies this approach. By delivering nitrogen via natural soil microbes—active in and around plant roots, Bio-N avoids the inefficiencies and emissions associated with synthetic fertilisers, supplying nitrogen sustainably and efficiently.

Recent research shows that synthetic nitrogen fertiliser contributes around 23 tonnes of CO₂e per tonne of nitrogen across its full life cycle (production, transport, and field emissions)¹.

Approximately 40% of this footprint comes from production alone², equivalent to around 9 tonnes CO₂e per tonne of nitrogen manufactured. Using this benchmark, replacing 70 kg N per hectare (with 10 L Bio-N) would prevent around 630 kg CO₂e emissions before fertiliser even enters the field.

On a per-litre basis, that’s approximately 63 kg CO₂e saved for every litre of Bio-N applied.

Synthetic nitrogen applied to soils is a major source of nitrous oxide (N₂O)—a greenhouse gas with a global warming potential about 265 times greater than CO₂ over 100 years³.

By shifting to biologically fixed nitrogen, farmers reduce the risk of these emissions while also lowering nitrate leaching. Long-term studies on biological nitrogen systems, such as legumes, have demonstrated reductions of up to 30% in nitrate losses and N₂O emissions compared with conventional fertiliser programmes⁴.

What is CO₂e?

CO₂e means “carbon dioxide equivalent“. It’s a way of expressing the impact of different greenhouse gases in a single, comparable unit:

CO₂ (carbon dioxide) → baseline (1 CO₂ = 1 CO₂e)
CH₄ (methane) → ~28–34× more powerful than CO₂
N₂O (nitrous oxide) → ~265–298× more powerful than CO₂

So when we say “10 L Bio-N saves ~630 kg CO₂e,” that includes avoided emissions from CO₂ and nitrous oxide that would have resulted from using bagged nitrogen.

This shift also aligns with agricultural policy. In the UK, the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) rewards practices that reduce reliance on synthetic fertilisers and enhance soil health⁵. In Europe, the Farm to Fork Strategy targets a 50% reduction in nutrient losses by 2030⁶. At the same time, global food supply chains are demanding verifiable reductions in farm-level carbon footprints.

By adopting Bio-N, farmers are not only improving soil biology and lowering emissions but also positioning themselves ahead of both regulatory changes and market expectations.

The broader benefits are equally important. Bio-N promotes microbial diversity, improves soil structure, and enhances the soil’s capacity to hold carbon and water, natural services that help farms withstand climate stress. Each hectare treated moves farming towards systems less reliant on fossil fuels and more in step with long-term environmental goals.

Sustainability in farming relies not just on policy, but on informed choices that balance productivity with environmental care. Bio-N offers farmers a practical, evidence-based way to reduce their footprint while sustaining yields.

Learn more about Bio-N: soilfertilityservices.co.uk/bio-n