Germany, as one of the major agro-industrial countries in Europe, faces the problem of nitrate polluting the groundwater and soils.

In addition to the deployment of manure from life stocks, the application of chemical fertilisers results in an oversupply and an enrichment of nutrients in the deeper soil layers which are not reachable for plant roots.

Soil moisture can react with the nitrate ions of e.g. potassium nitrate and can also sluice those nutrients into the groundwater.

Bringing the nitrate from fertilisers or manure together with the hydroxide ions from water results in the production of nitric acid.

Accordingly, shifting the production of crops from already contaminated fabrics to unstressed soils, and thus, spreading manures on nutrient-free grounds will help balancing the fertility and vitality of croplands worldwide.