First of all what you read is kinda true. The nitrogen cycle involves the creation of amino acids that aid in the formation of primary and secondary metabolites. A primary metabolite creates the essential parts of the plant like roots, leaves and stems. Secondary metabolites are not essential for primary growth like trichomes and seeds. If you’re a seed breeder or trichome farmer then you’ll really want to boost the secondary metabolite’s production at the right time. Sulfur is the element that’s also used to produce secondary metabolites. Sulfate makes up part of amino acids as an enzyme or part of a functional group. Sulfur is part of the building blocks of life like carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. Nitrogen is needed in large amount in vegetative growth and the plant’s nitrogen requirements lower the further in to flower it goes. But you can make sure the maximum amount of sulfate is available (about 80 ppm) during peak to late bloom. Other bio-stimulants play key roles in trichome formation as well so there is no one silver bullet secret ingredient to produce more THC. It’s the combinations of hundreds of different processes all working together to create what we love. Here’s more info about nitrogen. Ammonium Nitrate is a salt that once added to water becomes ammonium (metal) and nitrate (non-metal) ions. Nitrogen has two forms available to the plant as an essential anion nitrate NO3 – or as the cation ammonium NH4 +.

From my nutrition guide: https://dudegrows.com/mystros-guide-to-cannabis-nutrition/

Nitrogen first of all never comes into the plant as just N. It’s role in the biological functions of the plant are not to be understated. Nitrogen isn’t just fertilizer. It’s literally makes up part the RNA/DNA of the plant. Nitrogen is part of a functional group called an amine (-NH2), a derivative of ammonia (NH3) that makes up part of all amino acids. Amino comes from ammonia. A metal cation like copper require amines for transport in the xylem & phloem. Nitrogen is in the heme group of chlorophyll and is why we associate the plant’s green color to nitrogen. Hormones like cytokinin divide cells with the aid of nitrogen. So as you can see, nitrogen is much more than just a fertilizer. But as a fertilizer, nitrogen is available to roots in two forms, as ammonium (NH4+) or nitrate (NO3 –). The nitrogen cycle is enzymatic. Cannabis doesn’t use ammonium or nitrate directly, and must use enzymes in the roots, stems or leaves to covert/reduce the different forms of nitrogen within the plant. I hope some of this chemistry is starting to make sense.

A special class of enzymes called nitrate and nitrite reductase does the nitrate, nitrite and ammonium conversions. Reduction to nitrite (NO2 –) doesn’t just happen as nitrate enters the plant through the roots. Reduction can happen in the xylem tube on the way up the plant and even in the leaves. Highly specialized bacteria form relationships with nitrogen fixing plants like clovers, that can pull N2 from the atmosphere, an incredible strong and stable bond, and shit out ammonium. I wish we could get them to colonize cannabis roots. Ammonium conversions consumes more oxygen than nitrate conversions. So it only makes sense that low water temps are more favorable to ammonium reduction. Nitrates can stay soluble in higher temps so it would make sense that desert plants prefer nitrates while wetland plants would prefer ammonium. Cannabis is a plant that can use both forms. Decomposing plants provide the bulk of nitrogen found in the soil, but nitrogen can come from other carbon sources like mammals and their urea CO(NH2)2. These guys (Haber and Bosch) found a way with heat and pressure to synthetically convert N2 from the atmosphere to ammonia NH3 for commercial fertilizer production. Nitrogen uptake affects the rhizosphere pH like I mentioned before. The charge on the root cells needs to be balanced. Ion exchange is a swap of the same charged ions at an active mineral transport site. Nitrogen attached to hydrogen (ammonium NH4 +) is a cation (positive) and releases a (positive) H+ ion in the exchange which lowers pH and increases the acidity. Nitrogen attached to oxygen (nitrate NO3 –) is an anion (negative) that consumes hydrogen ions during uptake, raising the pH. During nitrate uptake bicarbonate (HCO3 -) is released. See how hydrogen and carbon replaced the nitrogen. Another reason nitrate is preferred by cannabis growers is because ammonium is a cation that competes for space on soil/clay particles with other cations like potassium, calcium and magnesium. This is what nutrient antagonism is. Too much of one limits the space for others of the same charge to fit on the particle. Plants like ammonium because it just needs to go from NH4 + to NH3 to NH2 –. Where nitrate goes from NO3 – to NO2 – to NH4 + to NH3 to NH2 –. Problem with ammonium as opposed to nitrate, ammonium would take up space other cations need on substrate particles.

We did in late 80s earlier 90s kind you could smell before the person walked in the room. I’m on a hunt for some of them seeds again. You could always smell it outside our house, others would say. Lol. Was some great times.