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      Can knowledge-based N management produce more staple grain with lower greenhouse gas emission and reactive nitrogen pollution? A meta-analysis.

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          Abstract

          Knowledge-based nitrogen (N) management, which is designed for a better synchronization of crop N demand with N supply, is critical for global food security and environmental sustainability. Yet, a comprehensive assessment on how these N management practices affect food production, greenhouse gas emission (GHG), and N pollution in China is lacking. We compiled the results of 376 studies (1166 observations) to evaluate the overall effects of seven knowledge-based N management practices on crop productivity, nitrous oxide (N2 O) emission, and major reactive N (Nr) losses (ammonia, NH3 ; N leaching and runoff), for staple grain (rice, wheat, and corn) production in China. These practices included the application of controlled-release N fertilizer, nitrification inhibitor (NI) and urease inhibitor (UI), higher splitting frequency of fertilizer N application, lower basal N fertilizer (BF) proportion, deep placement of N fertilizer, and optimal N rate based on soil N test. Our results showed that, compared to traditional N management, these knowledge-based N practices significantly increased grain yields by 1.3-10.0%, which is attributed to the higher aboveground N uptake (5.1-12.1%) and N use efficiency in grain (8.0-48.2%). Moreover, these N management practices overall reduced GHG emission and Nr losses, by 5.4-39.8% for N2 O emission, 30.7-61.5% for NH3 emission (except for the NI application), 13.6-37.3% for N leaching, and 15.5-45.0% for N runoff. The use of NI increased NH3 emission by 27.5% (9.0-56.0%), which deserves extra-attention. The cost and benefit analysis indicated that the yield profit of these N management practices exceeded the corresponding input cost, which resulted in a significant increase of the net economic benefit by 2.9-12.6%. These results suggest that knowledge-based N management practice can be considered an effective way to ensure food security and improve environmental sustainability, while increasing economic return.

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          Most cited references33

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          Producing more grain with lower environmental costs.

          Agriculture faces great challenges to ensure global food security by increasing yields while reducing environmental costs. Here we address this challenge by conducting a total of 153 site-year field experiments covering the main agro-ecological areas for rice, wheat and maize production in China. A set of integrated soil-crop system management practices based on a modern understanding of crop ecophysiology and soil biogeochemistry increases average yields for rice, wheat and maize from 7.2 million grams per hectare (Mg ha(-1)), 7.2 Mg ha(-1) and 10.5 Mg ha(-1) to 8.5 Mg ha(-1), 8.9 Mg ha(-1) and 14.2 Mg ha(-1), respectively, without any increase in nitrogen fertilizer. Model simulation and life-cycle assessment show that reactive nitrogen losses and greenhouse gas emissions are reduced substantially by integrated soil-crop system management. If farmers in China could achieve average grain yields equivalent to 80% of this treatment by 2030, over the same planting area as in 2012, total production of rice, wheat and maize in China would be more than enough to meet the demand for direct human consumption and a substantially increased demand for animal feed, while decreasing the environmental costs of intensive agriculture.
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            Integrated soil-crop system management for food security.

            China and other rapidly developing economies face the dual challenge of substantially increasing yields of cereal grains while at the same time reducing the very substantial environmental impacts of intensive agriculture. We used a model-driven integrated soil-crop system management approach to develop a maize production system that achieved mean maize yields of 13.0 t ha(-1) on 66 on-farm experimental plots--nearly twice the yield of current farmers' practices--with no increase in N fertilizer use. Such integrated soil-crop system management systems represent a priority for agricultural research and implementation, especially in rapidly growing economies.
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              Too much of a good thing.

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                Author and article information

                Journal
                Glob Chang Biol
                Global change biology
                Wiley-Blackwell
                1365-2486
                1354-1013
                May 2017
                : 23
                : 5
                Affiliations
                [1 ] State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China.
                [2 ] Crop and Soil Science Section, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia.
                Article
                10.1111/gcb.13455
                27506858
                fbc65353-e977-419f-9022-1217d050782e
                History

                cost and benefit,grain yield,greenhouse gas,knowledge-based N management,reactive N losses

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