1. Enhanced nitrogen fertiliser technologies support the '4R' concept to optimise crop production and minimise environmental losses
- Author
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Snyder, Clifford S.
- Subjects
Denitrification ,Harvesting ,Ammonia ,Groundwater ,Water resource management ,Nitrogen fertilizers ,Leaching ,Sustainable development ,Nitrification ,Nitrous oxide ,Company business management ,Agricultural industry ,Earth sciences ,United Nations. Environment Programme -- Management ,Soil Science Society of America -- Management ,International Fertilizer Industry Association -- Management - Abstract
Fertiliser nitrogen (N) has been, and will continue to be, essential in nourishing, clothing and providing bioenergy for the human family. Yet, emissions of ammonia (NH,) and nitrous oxide (N20), and losses of nitrate-N (NO3N) to surface and groundwater resources are risks associated with fertiliser N use that must be better managed to help meet expanding societal expectations. Nitrogen fertilisers with polymer coatings, or with the addition of urease and/or nitrification inhibitors, or those possessing other characteristics that afford them either improved agronomic response and/or lessened loss of N to the environment (compared with a reference watersoluble fertiliser) may be considered enhanced-efficiency N fertilisers (EEFs). Agronomic and horticultural research with these technologies has been performed for many decades, but it has been primarily in the past decade that research has increasingly also measured their efficacy in reducing N losses via volatilisation, leaching, drainage, run-off and denitrification. Expanded use of EEFs, within the '4R' concept (right source, right rate, right time, right place) of N management may help increase crop yields while minimizing environmental N losses. Coupling these 4R N management tools with precision technologies, information systems, crop growth and N utilisation and transformation models, especially weather models, may improve opportunities for refined N management in the future. Additional keywords: climate smart agriculture, crop yield, economics, nitrogen recovery, sustainability., Introduction Farmers and the agricultural industry around the world are increasingly being confronted with large challenges and opportunities to improve their management of nutrient inputs in crop production, especially N [...]
- Published
- 2017
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