. ▁ ▁Im m obil ization ▁is ▁the ▁opposite ▁of ▁min eral ization ▁where ▁the ▁in organ ic ▁nut ri ents ▁are ▁taken ▁up ▁ ▁by ▁soil ▁micro bes ▁making ▁them ▁un available ▁for ▁plant ▁u pt ake . ▁Im m obil ization ▁process ▁is ▁a ▁bi ological ▁process ▁controlled ▁by ▁b acter ia ▁that ▁consume ▁an ▁in organ ic ▁nit ro gen ▁and ▁for , ▁am ino ▁ac ids ▁and ▁bi ological ▁mac rom ole cu els ▁( in organ ic ▁forms ). ▁Im m obil ization ▁and ▁min eral ization ▁happen ▁continu ously ▁and ▁concurrent ly ▁where by ▁nit ro gen ▁of ▁the ▁decom pos ing ▁system ▁ ▁is ▁transformed ▁stead ily ▁from ▁in organ ic ▁to ▁organ ic ▁state ▁by ▁imm obil ization ▁and ▁ ▁back ▁from ▁organ ic ▁to ▁in organ ic ▁state ▁by ▁decay ▁and ▁min eral ization . ▁ ▁C : N ▁Rat io ▁Whether ▁nit ro gen ▁is ▁min eral ized ▁or ▁imm obil ized ▁depends ▁on ▁the ▁C / N ▁ratio ▁of ▁the ▁plant ▁resid ues . ▁For ▁example , ▁incorpor ating ▁materials ▁high ▁in ▁carbon ▁to ▁nit ro gen ▁ratio ▁such ▁as ▁saw ▁dust ▁and ▁st raw ▁will ▁stim ulate ▁soil ▁micro b ial ▁activity , in cre ase ▁demand ▁for ▁nit ro gen , ▁leading ▁to ▁imm obil ization . ▁This ▁is ▁known ▁as ▁prim ing ▁effect . ▁ ▁In ▁general ▁plant ▁resid ues ▁entering ▁the ▁soil ▁have ▁too ▁little ▁nit ro gen ▁for ▁the ▁soil ▁micro b ial ▁population ▁to ▁convert ▁all