Nitrogen use scenario in India

Nitrogen is one of the major plant nutrients without which the agricultural production is not possible. Nitrogen use in Indian agriculture was nearly 55000 tons in 1950-1951 that increased to 11.31 million tons in 2001-2002. The total food production of the country has also experienced the similar increase from 50.83 to 222 million tons in the respective years. Interestingly the N fertilizer consumption of India remained almost constant during the last six years indicating the possibility of reducing N consumption. The highest N consumption is in North zone owing to the introduction of rice-wheat cropping system followed by West, South and East.The N use efficiency has been reported to be varying between 30% to 50% depending on the crops and the management. But in most of the cases, N use efficiency has been calculated based on the total N removed by the crops (above ground part only) ignoring the N content left in the roots. It has been observed in controlled experiments that the total N uptake by roots varied from 18% to 44% of the total N removed by the above ground parts, i.e. grain and straw. If the root N is also accounted, the N use efficiency will be higher than reported. The management of other organic sources has to be improved so as to increase the fertilizer use efficiency as well as to check the direct release of N in the atmosphere. In this review all these issues will be dealt.     

Nitrogen use scenario in India

Nitrogen is one of the major plant nutrients without which the agricultural production is not possible. Nitrogen use in Indian agriculture was nearly 55000 tons in 1950–1951 that increased to 11.31 million tons in 2001–2002. The total food production of the country has also experienced the similar increase from 50.83 to 222 million tons in the respective years. Interestingly the N fertilizer consumption of India remained almost constant during the last six years indicating the possibility of reducing N consumption. The highest N consumption is in North zone owing to the introduction of rice-wheat cropping system followed by West, South and East.

The N use efficiency has been reported to be varying between 30% to 50% depending on the crops and the management. But in most of the cases, N use efficiency has been calculated based on the total N removed by the crops (above ground part only) ignoring the N content left in the roots. It has been observed in controlled experiments that the total N uptake by roots varied from 18% to 44% of the total N removed by the above ground parts, i.e. grain and straw. If the root N is also accounted, the N use efficiency will be higher than reported. The management of other organic sources has to be improved so as to increase the fertilizer use efficiency as well as to check the direct release of N in the atmosphere. In this review all these issues will be dealt.

     

Nitrogen budgets in flooded soils used for rice production

Summary The flooded soil-rice plant ecosystem is extremely complex and final N budgets are the products of many N transformations modified by physical, chemical and biological agents, to a large extent controlled by O₂ fluxes, but interacting with each other over time. Topics reviewed include mineralization-immobilization, nitrification-denitrification, NH ₄ ⁺ fixation, NH₃ volatilization, leaching and run-off lossess. Nitrogen budgets constructed for water sown rice using temperate climate data clearly show that the major mechanisms by which fertilizer N is removed is crop absorption, nitrification-dentrification and NH₃ volatilization. Proper fertilizer management can reduce losses and desirably increase fertilizer use efficiency. Nitrogen budgets have proven useful in describing gains and losses from the various N transformation processes, all of which are environment and management dependent.     

Rethinking sources of nitrogen to cereal crops

Understanding how to manage N inputs to identify the practices that maximize N recovery has been an organizing principle of agronomic research. Because growth in N fertilizer inputs is expected to continue in an ongoing effort to boost crop production over coming decades, understanding how to efficiently manage recovery of fertilizer N will be important going forward. Yet synthesis of published data that has traced the fate of ¹⁵N‐labeled fertilizer shows that less than half of the N taken up by crops is derived from current‐year N fertilizer. The source of the majority of N in crops is something other than current‐year fertilizer and the sources are not really known. This is true for maize (only 41% of N in crops was from current‐year N fertilizer), rice (32%), and small grains (37%). Recovery of organic fertilizer N (manure, green manure, compost, etc.) in crops is low (27%), though N recovery in subsequent years (10%) was greater than that for mineral fertilizers. Thus, while research on efficiency of N fertilizer use through improved rate, type, location, and timing is important, this research fails to directly address management of the majority of the N supplied to crops. It seems likely that the majority of non‐fertilizer N found in crops comes from turnover of soil and crop residue N. We encourage the research community to revisit the mental model that fertilizer is a replacement for N supply from turnover of soil organic N (SON) and consider a model in which N fertilizer augments ongoing SON turnover and makes an important longer term contribution to SON maintenance and turnover. Research focused on the efficient recovery of N current‐year fertilizer inputs neglects this potential role for building soil N and managing soil N turnover, which seems likely to be the most important source of crop N.     

Biofuels in China: opportunities and challenges

With rapid economic development, energy consumption in China has tripled in the past 20 yr, exceeding 2.4 billion tons of standard coal in 2006. The search for new green energy as substitutes for the nonrenewable energy resources has become an urgent task. China has a variety of climates and is rich in potential biofuel plant species. Corn and cassava are used as the main raw materials for bioethanol production in China. At the end of 2005, bioethanol productivity had increased to 1.02 million tons produced by four companies, and bioethanol-blended petrol accounted for 20% of the total petrol consumption in China. According to the Mid- and Long-term Development Plan for Renewable Energy, the consumption of biodiesel in China will reach 0.2 million tons in 2010 and 2.0 million tons in 2020. This review is intended to provide an introduction to the distribution and development of biofuel crops and biofuel industry in China.     

Economic impact of future biological nitrogen fixation technologies on United States agriculture

The economic impact of some future biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) technologies are estimated using AGSIM, an economietric model of United States agriculture. Five separate scenarios were modeled: (1) legumes fix more nitrogen (N₂) with no yield increase, (2) legumes fix more N₂ with an increase in yields of 10%, (3) N fertilization requirements on all crops are reduced 50% with no yield changes, (4) total elimination of N fertilization, and (5) total elimination of N fertilization and non-legume yields decrease 10%. Results indicate that BNF technologies have a high value to society. Increasing the efficiency of legumes to fix N₂ may have an annual US benefit of $1,067 million while decreasing N fertilization by 1,547 thousand metric tons. Total elimination of N fertilization of the major crops has an annual US benefit of $4,484 million.     

基于MFA和DEA的区域经济环境效率评价-以辽宁省为例

对经济与环境效率的科学评价是实现区域可持续发展的前提。运用物质流分析将辽宁省经济系统中数据进行物质化处理,再利用改进的数据包络分析模型对环境和经济效率进行综合评价。结果表明:辽宁省物资消费不主要依赖于进口,向其它地区物质输出量大;环境效率评价的综合效率主要受规模因素影响而显著低于纯技术效率,而整体经济的综合效率却主要受纯技术效率影响而下降。第二产业比重依然偏大的产业结构特征是导致上述结果的主因。进一步改造提升传统产业,发展战略性新兴产业,提高第三产业发展水平,扩大环保规模,促进居民生活质量水平全面提升,将是辽宁省以及与之相似的资源依赖型区域可持续发展的方向。     

三江平原粮食作物生产水足迹时空特征及影响因素

水足迹是评价人类活动对水资源开采和水环境污染程度的重要方法,对农作物生长过程的绿水足迹、蓝水足迹和灰水足迹进行量化和分析,可以为农业用水综合评价和用水管理提供指导。以三江平原为研究区域量化粮食作物生产水足迹的时空特征,揭示粮食生产对区域水资源的占用情况,并分析水足迹的影响因素。结果表明:(1)三江平原粮食生产水足迹总量在2005-2018年间呈显著增加趋势,其中绿水足迹、蓝水足迹和灰水足迹在水足迹总量中的占比历年平均为28%、8%和64%;(2)粮食生产水足迹空间差异明显,在地市尺度,佳木斯市水足迹最高,占三江平原总量的47%,在县区尺度,富锦市、依兰县和桦南县是水足迹热点地区;(3)只考虑蓝水足迹,粮食生产给三江平原水资源造成轻度压力,而同时考虑蓝水和灰水足迹,粮食生产给三江平原水资源造成重度压力;各地市间水资源压力有较大差异,其中佳木斯市负担了该区域将近一半的粮食产量,水资源压力最高,鹤岗市则水资源压力最低;(4)降雨量、灌溉水利用效率、化肥施用量、粮食种植结构和作物单产水平等都会影响粮食作物生产水足迹,其中蓝水足迹响应种植结构的变化最敏感,灰水足迹响应化肥施用量的变化最敏感,而水足迹总量响应作物单产水平的变化最敏感。因此,建议减少化肥施用量、提高作物单产水平和优化作物种植结构纳入区域水资源可持续管理之中。     

长期施肥对黄土高原黄绵土氮肥利用率的影响

氮肥利用率是确定推荐施氮量和施氮效果评价的关键参数.本文通过黄土高原黄绵土区持续34年(1981—2015年)的长期定位试验,研究了长期不同施肥处理对氮肥当季利用率和累积利用率的影响及氮肥当季利用率与累积利用率的关系.结果表明: 除试验起始年(1982)外,不同施肥处理对小麦、油菜和胡麻3种作物氮肥的当季利用率和累积利用率都有显著影响,其中小麦以氮磷钾配施(NPK)处理平均氮肥当季利用率最高,其次为氮磷配施(NP)处理,分别较单施氮肥(N)处理提高了77.7%和62.0%;油菜也以氮磷钾配施(NPK)处理平均氮肥当季利用率最高,其次为有机肥与氮磷钾配施(MNPK)处理,分别较单施氮肥处理提高了93.7%和65.6%.有机肥与氮肥配施(MN)处理氮肥当季利用率较单施氮肥(N)处理显著增加,而有机肥与氮磷配施(MNP)和氮磷钾配施(MNPK)处理氮肥当季利用率较相应氮磷配施(NP)和氮磷钾配施(NPK)处理明显降低.氮肥当季利用率与作物籽粒产量存在显著的线性正相关关系,而累积利用率与作物籽粒产量的相关关系不明显.表明与氮肥累积利用率相比,当季利用率能较及时地反映特定土壤肥力、作物种类、品种和环境条件下的肥料利用率特征.     

Effect of N fertilizer rate and soil pH on N efficiency in corn

Nitrogen (N) efficiency components and N accumulation parameters were determined for seven commercially available corn (Zea mays L.) hybrids grown on a Cecil sandy loam soil (Typic Hapludult) in the Southeasten U.S. The hybrids were grown in field plots at three soil pH levels (4.8, 5.5, and 6.6) and four N fertilizer rates (0.4, 1.8, 3.2, and 6.0, g plant⁻¹). Nitrogen uilitzation efficiency (grain yield/total N uptake) was significantly different among hybrids in both 1983 and 1984. Differences in N use efficiency (grain yield/N supply) and N uptake efficiency (total N uptake/N supply) ranged from 100.4 to 114.6 and from 1.62 to 1.90, respectively, in 1984. Nitrogen fertilizer rate significantly affected all measured N accumulation and efficiency parameters except N uptake after silking in 1983. The results indicate that improving N uptake or soil N availability might increase grain yields for hybrids with higher N utilization efficiency.     

Sub-regional dimensions of agricultural and environmental nitrogen: The case of Asia

Asia embraces a wide range of cropping environments, largely related to the diversity of climate. To meet the high food requirements of a very large population (some 59% of the earth's total) large inputs of mineral N fertilizer are required (44.2 Tg N.yr-1 in the mid 1990s).However, because of the low (20%-50%) overall efficiency of use of fertilizer N, sometimes coupled with heavy use in intensively-farmed areas (for example in parts of China), losses of fertilizer N from agricultural land are expected to be high. Part of the N lost is thought to cause pollution of the atmosphere and water resources.A sub-regional approach, based on the FAO Agroecological Zone (AEZ) concept, has the potential to provide meaningful assessments of the agricultural and environmental dimensions of N.The AEZ concept can also provide the rationale for locating Sub-regional Centers of the International Nitrogen Initiative (INI) by basing the considerations, as far as practicable, on agroecological conditions.     

Nitrogen dynamics in conventional and no-tillage agroecosystems with inorganic fertilizer or legume nitrogen inputs

Summary Nitrogen (N) dynamics were studied in conventional and no-tillage agroecosystems on the Georgia Piedmont. Nitrogen inputs in the form of ammonium nitrate (95 kg-N/ha) and winter legume (crimson clover) residues were compared. The legume provided adequate N for summer crop (grain sorghum) production, but water use by the legume reduced the ability of sorghum to utilize the N. Legume N inputs became availabe to plants more gradually than fertilizer inputs. Weed growth and potential denitrification activity were higher in legume-N treatments than in fertilizer-N treatments. Tillage affected the timing of N avaialbility more than the total amount of available N. Summer crops took up more N under conventional tillage while winter crops took up more N under no-tillage. Denitrification activity was higher under no-tillage but was not a significant output from the agroecosystems. Leaching losses of N differed seasonally between treatments but were not significant in any of the agroecosystems.     

Sub-regional dimensions of agricultural and environmental nitrogen: The case of Asia

Asia embraces a wide range of cropping environments, largely related to the diversity of climate. To meet the high food requirements of a very large population (some 59% of the earth’s total) large inputs of mineral N fertilizer are required (44.2 Tg N·yr^?1 in the mid 1990s). However, because of the low (20%–50%) overall efficiency of use of fertilizer N, sometimes coupled with heavy use in intensively-farmed areas (for example in parts of China), losses of fertilizer N from agricultural land are expected to be high. Part of the N lost is thought to cause pollution of the atmosphere and water resources.A sub-regional approach, based on the FAO Agroecological Zone (AEZ) concept, has the potential to provide meaningful assessments of the agricultural and environmental dimensions of N. The AEZ concept can also provide the rationale for locating Sub-regional Centers of the International Nitrogen Initiative (INI) by basing the considerations, as far as practicable, on agroecological conditions.     

Nitrogen release from incorporated 15N-labelled Chinese milk vetch (Astragalus sinicus L.) residue and its dynamics in a double rice cropping system

Background and aims

Chinese milk vetch (Astragalus sinicus L. CMV), a leguminous cover crop, has been shown to provide N benefits to rice crops, but little is known about the pathway of incorporated CMV and its N dynamics. In this study, effects of CMV under different application treatments (incorporated alone, applied in conjunction with urea fertilizer and applied with ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.)) on N dynamics, rice yields and N uptake were investigated and compared with those of chemical fertilizer (CF) and no fertilizer (NF) in a double rice cropping system.

Methods

Nitrogen release from incorporated CMV residue was quantified by using a bag method. Nitrogen dynamics of CMV were evaluated by using ¹⁵N-labelled fresh CMV tops and compared with those of CF (¹⁵N-labelled urea).

Results

CMV residue decomposition pattern and its N release pattern followed a single exponential decay model, with 87.8–89.5 % of the applied CMV decomposed and 95.1–96.1 % of the original N released in the double rice season (177 days after fertilizer application). CMV treatments had higher rice N uptake efficiency than CF (39.2–51.3 % vs. 29.9 %) at the sum of early and late rice seasons. Rice yield, N accumulation and mineral fertilizer efficiency in CMV treated treatments were higher than those in CF. After two consecutive rice seasons the amounts of residual N remained in the soil were higher in the CMV treated fields than in CF (29.4–33.2 % vs. 14.1 %).

Conclusions

CMV can be considered an efficient N source alternative to chemical fertilizer in double rice cropping systems.     

Effects of delayed soil and foliar N fertilization on yield and N2 fixation of soybean

Summary Field experiments were conducted to determine the effects of the amount, time and method of fertilizer N application on the efficiency of N uptake, N₂ fixatio and yield of soybean. Soil and foliar fertilizer N, applied during the pod-filling stage were absorbed by plants with equal and high efficiency, compared to an appreciably lower utilization efficiency for N applied before seedling emergence. These results reveal that the soybean roots were active in N uptake during these late stages of growth. Nitrogen fertilization during pod-filling resulted in significant yield increases over the control treatment which received an early application of 20 Kg N/ha. Seed yield increases were, however, more pronounced than total dry matter yield, and virtually all of the late-applied N was translocated into the pods. Nitrogen fixation in soybean was not influenced by the application of 40 kg N/ha to plants as soil or foliar N during the pod-filling stage. However, 80 kg N/ha supplied during pod-filling as 40 kg soil plus 40 kg foliar N/ha significantly reduced the amount of N₂ fixed. The results obtained in these studies suggest that inadequate N supply during pod-filling limited soybean yields, and that by the judicious application of fertilizer N during the late stages of growth, it was possible to enhance soybean yields without necessarily inhibiting N₂ fixation.     

不同肥料组合对冬小麦水分供需状况的研究

采用Ｄ－饱和最优设计对半湿润易旱区冬小麦在各生育阶段土壤水分平衡状况以及不同肥料组合对冬小麦产量和水分利用效率的影响进行了分析和研究。结果表明,根据水量平衡法计算不同施肥条件下土壤供水量明显不同,以Ｎ、Ｐ、有机肥组合土壤供水占的比例最大为２７％,单施氮肥利用降水补给占的比例最高为１００％。整个生育期,单施氮肥冬小麦水分亏缺最严重,而磷肥与有机肥组合水分亏缺最小,Ｎ、Ｐ、有机肥组合能显著提高冬小麦产     

Nitrogen-Use Efficiency,Nitrous Oxide Emissions,and Cereal Production in Brazil: Current Trends and Forecasts

The agriculture sector has historically been a major source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into the atmosphere. Although the use of synthetic fertilizers is one of the most common widespread agricultural practices, over-fertilization can lead to negative economic and environmental consequences, such as high production costs, depletion of energy resources, and increased GHG emissions. Here, we provide an analysis to understand the evolution of cereal production and consumption of nitrogen (N) fertilizers in Brazil and to correlate N use efficiency (NUE) with economic and environmental losses as N₂O emissions. Our results show that the increased consumption of N fertilizers is associated with a large decrease in NUE in recent years. The CO₂ eq. of N₂O emissions originating from N fertilization for cereal production were approximately 12 times higher in 2011 than in 1970, indicating that the inefficient use of N fertilizers is directly related to environmental losses. The projected N fertilizer forecasts are 2.09 and 2.37 million ton for 2015 and 2023, respectively. An increase of 0.02% per year in the projected NUE was predicted for the same time period. However, decreases in the projected CO₂ eq. emissions for future years were not predicted. In a hypothetical scenario, a 2.39% increase in cereal NUE would lead to $ 21 million savings in N fertilizer costs. Thus, increases in NUE rates would lead not only to agronomic and environmental benefits but also to economic improvement.     

Biological nitrogen fixation in mixed legume-cereal cropping systems

Cereal/legume intercropping increases dry matter production and grain yield more than their monocultures. When fertilizer N is limited, biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is the major source of N in legume-cereal mixed cropping systems. The soil N use patterns of component crops depend on the N source and legume species. Nitrogen transfer from legume to cereal increases the cropping system's yield and efficiency of N use. The use of nitrate-tolerant legumes, whose BNF is thought to be little affected by application of combined N, may increase the quantity of N available for the cereal component. The distance between the cereal and legume root systems is important because N is transferred through the intermingling of root systems. Consequently, the most effective planting distance varies with type of legume and cereal. Mutual shading by component crops, especially the taller cereals, reduces BNF and yield of the associated legume. Light interception by the legume can be improved by selecting a suitable plant type and architecture. Planting pattern and population at which maximum yield is achieved also vary among component species and environments. Crops can be mixed in different proportions from additive to replacement or substitution mixtures. At an ideal population ratio a semi-additive mixture may produce higher gross returns.     

联合固氮菌的合成生物学研究进展

氮素是作物生长过程中最重要的元素,氮素缺乏将会严重影响作物生长。随着人类对粮食的需求量增加,化学氮肥的施用量越来越多。生物固氮在全球氮素循环中有着重要的作用,60%的氮来源于生物固氮。因此,生物固氮,尤其是能够在作物中定殖的联合固氮菌,最有可能代替氮肥成为粮食作物的主要氮源。长期以来,如何提高生物固氮效率以及在作物中实现生物固氮是生物学家的重要研究方向。合成生物学的出现和发展为能够生物固氮的研究带了新的机遇,有望缓解粮食作物对化学氮肥的大量需求。本文概述了固氮菌的种类、联合固氮菌中固氮基因岛的组成以及转录调控机理,阐述了合成生物学在生物固氮领域中的研究现状,对未来的联合固氮菌合成生物学的发展方向作出了展望。     

Evaluation of N2-fixation and nitrogen economy of a maize/cowpea intercrop system using15N dilution methods

Yields of above ground biomass and total N were determined in summer-grown maize and cowpea as sole crops or intercrops, with or without supplementary N fertilizer (25 kg N ha⁻¹, urea) at an irrigated site in Waroona, Western Australia over the period 1982–1985. Good agreement was obtained between estimates of N₂ fixation of sole or intercrop cowpea (1984/85 season) based on the¹⁵N natural abundance and¹⁵N fertilizer dilution techniques, both in the field and in a glasshouse pot study. Field-grown cowpea was estimated to have received 53–69% of its N supply from N₂-fixation, with N₂-fixation onlyslightly affected by intercropping or N fertilizer application. Proportional reliance on N₂-fixation of cowpea in glasshouse culture was lower (36–66%) than in the field study and more affected by applied N. Budgets for N were drawn up for the field intercrops, based on above-ground seed yields, return of crop residues, inputs of fixed N and fertilizer N. No account was taken of possible losses of N through volatilization, denitrification and leaching or gains of N in the soil from root biomass. N₂-fixation was estimated tobe 59 kg N ha⁻¹ in the plots receiving no fertilizer N, and 73 kg N ha⁻¹ in plots receiving 25 kg N ha⁻¹ as urea. Comparable fixation by sole cowpea was higher (87 and 82 kg N ha⁻¹ respectively) but this advantage was outweighed by greater land use efficiency by the intercrop than sole crops.