Synthetic Nitrogen Fertilizers Deplete Soil Nitrogen: A Global Dilemma for Sustainable Cereal Production

Mulvaney, R. L.; Khan, Saeed Ahmed; Ellsworth, T. R.

doi:10.2134/jeq2008.0527

Cited by 412 publications

(335 citation statements)

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“…N excreted from livestock and humans) to the agricultural systems for nutrient cycling (Dinnes et al, 2002). The intensification of agricultural practices coupled with the separation of crop production from livestock production has disrupted natural nutrient cycling, deplete SOM levels, changes in soil, physical and chemical properties, brought major shifts in soil microbial activity and diversity, resulted in the development of high-nitrifying soil environments, where NO 3 2 accounts for .95% of the crop N uptake in modern agricultural systems (Supplementary Figure S3) (Elliot, 1986;Ross, 1993;Tiessen et al, 1994;Matson et al, 1998;Poudel et al, 2002;Celik, 2005;Khan et al, 2007;Mulvaney et al, 2009;Russell et al, 2009;van Wesemael et al, 2010). These high-nitrifying soil environments are largely responsible for the loss of 70% N fertilizer applied to the production systems (Peterjohn and Schlesinger, 1990;Vitousek and Howarath, 1991;Raun and Johnson, 1999).…”

Section: Emissions (Supplementarymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These high-nitrifying soil environments are largely responsible for the loss of 70% N fertilizer applied to the production systems (Peterjohn and Schlesinger, 1990;Vitousek and Howarath, 1991;Raun and Johnson, 1999). With the worldwide N-fertilizer application reaching 150 Tg/year (Smil, 1999;Galloway et al, 2008) and the cost of urea N ranging from US$ 0.80 to 0.54/kg N, the direct annual economic loss is estimated at nearly US$ 90 billion (Fertilizer Market Bulletin, 2008;Mulvaney et al, 2009;Subbarao et al, 2013b). Fertilizer-N use is projected to double by 2050 to reach close to 300 Tg/year, (Tilman et al, 2001;Turner et al, 2008;Schlesinger, 2009), and N lost from NO 3 2 leaching from agricultural systems can be at 61.5 Tg N/year (Schlesinger, 2009).…”

Section: Emissions (Supplementarymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Potential for biological nitrification inhibition to reduce nitrification and N2O emissions in pasture crop–livestock systems

Subbarao

Rao

Nakahara

et al. 2013

Animal

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Agriculture and livestock production systems are two major emitters of greenhouse gases. Methane with a GWP (global warming potential) of 21, and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) with a GWP of 300, are largely emitted from animal production agriculture, where livestock production is based on pasture and feed grains. The principal biological processes involved in N 2 O emissions are nitrification and denitrification. Biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) is the natural ability of certain plant species to release nitrification inhibitors from their roots that suppress nitrifier activity, thus reducing soil nitrification and N 2 O emission. Recent methodological developments (e.g. bioluminescence assay to detect BNIs in plant root systems) have led to significant advances in our ability to quantify and characterize the BNI function. Synthesis and release of BNIs from plants is a highly regulated process triggered by the presence of NH 4 1 in the rhizosphere, which results in the inhibitor being released precisely where the majority of the soil-nitrifier population resides. Among the tropical pasture grasses, the BNI function is strongest (i.e. BNI capacity) in Brachiaria sp. Some feed-grain crops such as sorghum also have significant BNI capacity present in their root systems. The chemical identity of some of these BNIs has now been established, and their mode of inhibitory action on Nitrosomonas has been characterized. The ability of the BNI function in Brachiaria pastures to suppress N 2 O emissions and soil nitrification potential has been demonstrated; however, its potential role in controlling N 2 O emissions in agro-pastoral systems is under investigation. Here we present the current status of our understanding on how the BNI functions in Brachiaria pastures and feed-grain crops such as sorghum can be exploited both genetically and, from a production system's perspective, to develop low-nitrifying and low N 2 O-emitting production systems that would be economically profitable and ecologically sustainable.

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Section: Emissions (Supplementarymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Emissions (Supplementarymentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential for biological nitrification inhibition to reduce nitrification and N2O emissions in pasture crop–livestock systems

Subbarao

Rao

Nakahara

et al. 2013

Animal

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“…Increased agricultural production worldwide over the past four decades has been associated with a more than eightfold increase in the use of nitrogen (Mulvaney;Khan;Ellsworth, 2009). As a result, the use of nitrogen fertilizers in agriculture has had negative impacts on the diversity and functioning of ecosystems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

GGE Biplot projection in discriminating the efficiency of popcorn lines to use nitrogen

et al. 2017

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Nitrogen is essential for sustaining life on the planet, and it is the most important nutrient for obtaining high agricultural production. However, their use leads to the release of nitrous oxide with a global warming potential 296 times higher than the CO 2 molecule, making it a challenge to reduce their use in agriculture. The objective of this research was to identify efficient popcorn inbred lines and responsive nitrogen use and exhibit a good expansion volume. For this, 29 inbred lines from the Germplasm Collection of Darcy Ribeiro North Fluminense State University (UENF) were evaluated at two contrasting levels of nitrogen availability (low and ideal) at two representative locations in the north and northwest of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, arranged in a randomized block design with three replicates. These inbred lines were discriminated against efficient use of nitrogen by multivariate GGE Biplot. Selective accuracy was close to 1, showing that the genotypes were enough to provide contrasting success in selection procedures. The first two main components (PC) retained 93.82% of the total variation, and PC1 furnished an information ratio (IR) that was unaffected by noise. L77 was the most unstable line, while P7, P2, P6, P3, P5, P4, P9, P10, P8, P9, L70, L74, and L55 were efficient and responsive. The GGE biplot method is recommended for the reliable identification of popcorn lines that are efficient and responsive to the use of nitrogen.Index terms: Zea mays; multivariate analysis; abiotic stress; G x E interaction. RESUMOO nitrogênio é indispensável à manutenção da vida no planeta, sendo o mais importante nutriente para a obtenção de elevadas produções agrícolas. No entanto, a sua utilização ocasiona a liberação de óxido nitroso, com potencial de aquecimento global 296 vezes maior que a molécula de CO 2 , tornando-se um grande desafio a redução de seu uso na agricultura. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi identificar linhagens de milho-pipoca eficientes e responsivas no uso de nitrogênio e que apresentem um elevada capacidade de expansão. Para isto, avaliaram-se 29 linhagens da Coleção de Germoplasma da Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro (UENF) em dois níveis contrastantes de nitrogênio (baixo e ideal) em dois locais representativos do Norte e Noroeste do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, arranjadas no delineamento em blocos casualizados com três repetições. Estas linhagens foram discriminadas em relação a eficiência no uso do nitrogênio pela técnica multivariada GGE Biplot. A acurácia seletiva foi próxima de 1, revelando que os genótipos foram suficientes contrastantes para proporcionar sucesso em procedimentos seletivos. Os dois primeiros componentes principais (CP) retiveram 93,82% da variação total, sendo que o CP1 expressou relação de informação (IR) não impactada por ruídos. L77 foi a linhagem mais instável, enquanto P7, P2, P6, P3, P5, P4, P9, P10, P8, P9, L70, L74 e L55 foram eficientes e responsivas. Recomenda-se o método GGE Biplot na identificação fidedigna de l...

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“…Reduced SOM losses have been attributed to both N fertilizer additions that increased crop residues Paustian et al 1997;Varvel et al 2002) and to legume inclusion (Drinkwater et al 1998;Gregorich et al 2001;Fortuna et al 2008). Recent meta-analyses also highlight, however, that N fertilizer can be inconsistent in mitigating SOM losses, and may even exacerbate SOM losses in some cases (Khan et al 2007;Mulvaney et al 2009;Russell et al 2009). Questions also remain whether legumes are capable of mitigating SOM losses from fallow as well or better than wellfertilized high-residue continuous cereal systems, especially considering legumes' labile residues (Curtin et al 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Legume, cropping intensity, and N-fertilization effects on soil attributes and processes from an eight-year-old semiarid wheat system

O'Dea

Jones

Zabinski

et al. 2015

Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst

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In the North American northern Great Plains (NGP), legumes are promising summer fallow replacement/cropping intensification options that may decrease dependence on nitrogen (N) fertilizer in small grain systems and mitigate effects of soil organic matter (SOM) losses from summer fallow. Benefits may not be realized immediately in semiarid conditions though, and longer-term effects of legumes and intensified cropping in this region are unclear, particularly in no-till systems. We compared effects of four no-till wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cropping systems-summer fallow-wheat (F-W), continuous wheat (CW), legume green manure (pea, Pisum sativum L.)-wheat (LGM-W), and pea-wheat (P-W)-on select soil attributes in an 8-year-old rotation study, and N fertilizer effects on C and N mineralization on a duplicate soil set in a laboratory experiment. We analyzed potentially mineralizable carbon and nitrogen (PMC and PMN) and mineralization trends with a nonlinear model, microbial biomass carbon (MB-C), and wet aggregate stability (WAS). Legume-containing systems generally resulted in higher PMC, PMN, and MB-C, while intensified systems (CW and P-W) had higher WAS. Half-lives of PMC were shortest in intensified systems, and were longest in legume systems (LGM-W and P-W) for PMN. Nitrogen addition depressed C and N mineralization, particularly in CW, and generally shortened the half-life of mineralizable C. Legumes may increase long-term, no-till NGP agroecosystem resilience and sustainability by (1) increasing the available N-supply (*26-50 %) compared to wheatonly systems, thereby reducing the need for N fertilizer for subsequent crops, and (2) by potentially mitigating negative effects of SOM loss from summer fallow.

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Synthetic Nitrogen Fertilizers Deplete Soil Nitrogen: A Global Dilemma for Sustainable Cereal Production

Abstract: Abbreviations: EONR, economically optimum nitrogen rate; FNUE, fertilizer nitrogen uptake effi ciency; HNPK, high nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizer; ISNT, Illinois soil nitrogen test; SEM, standard error of mean; SOC, soil organic carbon.

Cited by 412 publications

References 183 publications

Potential for biological nitrification inhibition to reduce nitrification and N2O emissions in pasture crop–livestock systems

Potential for biological nitrification inhibition to reduce nitrification and N2O emissions in pasture crop–livestock systems

GGE Biplot projection in discriminating the efficiency of popcorn lines to use nitrogen

Legume, cropping intensity, and N-fertilization effects on soil attributes and processes from an eight-year-old semiarid wheat system

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