Need for determining ecofriendly optimum fertilizer nitrogen level for better environment and for alleviating hunger and malnutrition
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59797/ija.v61i1.4322Keywords:
Agronomic efficiency of N (AE ), Ecol rate of nitrogen, Econ rate of nitrogen, Fertilizer N opt opt nitrogen, Hunger, Malnutrition, Recovery efficiency of N (RE ), Yield rate of nitrogen N optAbstract
Asia accounts for about two-thirds of hungry and malnourished people in the world and within Asia, South Asia, which includes India, Pakistan and Bangladesh accounts for about 34.3%, which in absolute numbers are 276.4 million people. Cereals are the staple food in Asia and alleviation of hunger aims at increasing the availability of cereals (rice, wheat, maize etc.) in these countries. It is estimated that without fertilizer nitrogen about half of the world population would have remained hungry and malnourished. However, excess fertilizer nitrogen is detrimen- tal to the environment. Ammonia volatilized from surface applied fertilizer nitrogen reduces air quality, while ni- trous oxide is a powerful greenhouse gas contributing to global warming and is also responsible for depletion of atmospheric ozone. Excessive nitrogen fertilizer is reported to increase nitrate concentration in drinking water leading to blue baby syndrome or methaemoglobinemia, while eutrophication of surface water is responsible to mortality of fish and other sea creatures. Therefore, efforts are underway to increase the efficiency of fertilizer ni- trogen by using 4Rs, namely, right source applied at the right rate, time and depth. A number of studies have indi- cated that it is possible to obtain the desired production of cereals with much lesser nitrogen rates and it is sug- gested to shift from economic optimum rate (Econ ) to ecological optimum rate (Ecol ) rate of nitrogen applica- opt opt tion to cereals in making out fertilizer recommendations. This exercise has not yet been done by the agronomists in India and is strongly recommended.References
Alexander, A. and Helm, H-U. 1990. Ureaform as a slow-release fertilizer: A review. Journal of Plant Nutrition & Soil Science 153(4): 24955.
Alexandratos, N. and Bruinsma, J. 2012. World Agriculture Towards 2030/2050. The 2012 Revision. ESA working Paper No. 12 03, Agriculture Development and Economic Division, FAO, Rome (www.fao.org/economic/esa).
Angel, J. 2015. USDA. Project releases corn split nitrogen application decision tool. Illinois State Water Survey Prarie Research Institute, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois State Climatologist, November 12, 2015 (www.agclimate4u.org).
Bruulsema, T.W., Fixen, P.E. and Sulewski, G.D. (Eds.). 2012. 4R Plant Nutrition Manual: A Manual for Improving the Management of Plant Nutrition. International Plant Nutrition Institute, Norcross, GA, USA.
Burrow, K.R., Nolan, B.T., Rupert, M.G. and Dubrovsky, N.M. 2010. Nitrate in the groundwater of the United States-1991 2003. Environmental Science & Technology 44: 4,988997.
Chen, J., Huang, Y. and Tang, Y. 2011a. Quantifying economically and ecologically optimum rates for rice production in southeastern China. Agriculture, Ecosystem & Environment 142: 195204.
Chen, X.P., Cui, Z.L., Vitousek, P.M., Cassman, K.G., Matson, P.A., Bai, J.S., Meng, Q.F, Hou, P., Yue, S.C., Romheld, V. and Zhanf, F.S. 2011b. Integrated soil-crop system management for food security. Proceedings National Academy of Sciences, USA 108: 6,399404.
Conant, R.T., Berdanier, A.B. and Grace, P.R. 2013. Patterns and trends in nitrogen use and nitrogen recovery efficiency in world agriculture. Global Biogeochemical Cycles 27: 558
Crow, J. 1998. 90 years ago: the beginning of hybrid maize. Genetics 148(3): 92328.
Dalrymple, D.G. 1978. Development and spread of high yielding varieties of wheat and rice in the less developed nations. USDA Office of the International Cooperation and Development in Cooperation with USAID, USA. Economic Report 95, 146 p.
Davidson, E.A. 2009. The contribution of manure and fertilizer nitrogen to atmospheric nitrous oxide since 1860. Nature Geo-science 2: 65962.
Diaz, R.J. and Rosenberg, R. 2008. Spreading dead zones and consequences for marine ecosystems. Science 321: 92629.
Erisman J.W., Sutton, M.A. Gallaeway, J., Kilmont, Z. and Winiwarter, W, 2008. How a century of ammonia synthesis changed the world. Nature Geo-Science 1: 63639.
Esler, J.J., Bracken, M.E.S., Cleland, E.E., Gunner, D.S., Harpole, W.S., Hillerbtand, H., Ngai, J.T., Seabloom, E.W., Shurin,
J.B. and Smith, J.E. 2007. Global analysis of nitrogen and phosphorus limitation of primary producers in freshwater, marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Ecology Letters 10: 1,135142.
FAO. 1955. The State of Food and Agriculture 1955. FAO, Rome.
FAO. 2015. 2015 World Hunger and Poverty Facts and Statistics. FAO, Rome. (http://www.worldhunger.org/articles/Learn/ world%20hunger%20facts%202002htm)
Fox, R.H. and Piekielek, W.P. 1983. Response of corn to nitrogen fertilizer and the prediction of soil nitrogen availability with chemical tests in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Agriculture Experiment Station Bulletin 843.
Fox, R.H., Meisinger, J.J., Sims, J.T. and Piekielek, W.P. 1992. Predicting nitrogen fertilizer needs for corn in humid regions: advances in the mid-Atlantic states. pp. 4346. (In) Predicting Nitrogen Fertilizer Needs in Humid Regions (Bock, B.R. and Kelley, K.R., Eds.), National Fertilizer and Environmental Research Centre, TVA, Muscle Shoals, AL. Bulletin Y
Gao, Q., Li, C., Feng, G., Wang, J., Cui, Z., Chen, Z. and Zhang, F. 2012. Understanding yield response to nitrogen to achieve high yield and high nitrogen use efficiency and rainfed corn. Agronomy Journal 104: 16568.
GOI. 2015. Neem coated urea. Budget Session, Lok Sabha 5 May, 2015. Reply by Shri Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, Honourable Minister of State, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India (via internet).
Grassini, P. and Cassman, K.G. 2012. High yield maize with large net energy yield and small global warming intensity. Proceedings National Academy of Sciences, USA 109: 1,074
Guo, J., Liu, X., Zhang, Y., Shen, J., Han, W., Zhang, W., Christie, P., Goulding, K., Vitousek, P and Zhang, F. 2010. Significant acidification in major Chinese croplands. Science 327: 1,008010.
Heffer, P. 2013. Assessment of Fertilizer Use by Crop at the Global Level 2010-2010/11, International Fertilizer Industry Association, Paris.
Ju, X.T., Xing, G.X., Chen, X.P., Zhang, S.L., Zhang, L.J., Liu, X.J., Cui, Z.L., Yin, B., Christie, P. and Zhu, Z.L. 2009. Reducing environmental risk by improving N management in intensive Chinese agricultural systems. Proceedings National of the Academy of Sciences, USA 106: 3,041046.
Katsura, K. Shubei, M., Lubis, L., Horie, T. and Shiraiwa, T. 2008. The high yield of rice in Yunnan, China: A cross location analysis. Field Crops Research 107: 111.
Katyal, J.C., Bijay-Singh and Vlek, P.L.G. 1985. Fate and efficiency of fertilizer nitrogen applied to wetland rice. II. Punjab, India. Fertilizer Research 6: 27990.
Keeler, B.L., Polasky, S., Brauman, K.A., Polasky, S., Johnson, K.A., Finlay, J.C., ONeil, A., Kovacs, K. and Dalzell, B. 2012. Linking water quality and well-being for improved assessment and valuation of ecocystem services. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 109: 18,619624.
Knobeloch, L., Saha, B., Hogan, A., Pestle, J. and Anderson, H. 2000. Blue babies and nitrate contaminated well water. Environmental Health Perspectives 108(7): 67578.
Kundu, M.C., Mandal, B. and Sarkar, D. 2008. Assessment of the potential hazards of nitrate contamination in surface and groundwater in a heavily fertilized and intensively cultivated district of India. Environment Monitoring and Assessment
: 18389.
Ladha, J.K., Pathak, H., Krupnik, T.J., Six, J and von Kassel, C. 2005. Efficiency of fertilizer nitrogen in cereal production: retrospect and perspectives. Advances in Agronomy 87: 85
Ladha, J.K., Padre, A.T., Reddy C.K., Cassman K.G., Verma, S., Powlson, D.S., van Kessel C., Richter, D.B., Chakraborty,
D. and Pathak, H. 2016. Global nitrogen budgets in cereals: A 50-year assessment for maize, rice, and wheat production systems. Scientific Reports 6:19355, DOI: 10.1038/ srep19355
Maiti, D., Das, D.K., Karak, T. and Banerjee, M. 2004. Management of nitrogen through the use of leaf colour chart (LCC) and soil plant analysis development (SPAD) or chlorophyll meter in rice under irrigated ecosystems. The Scientific World Journal 4: 83846.
Majumdar, K., Dutta, S.K. and Satyanarayana, T. 2014. Fertilizer best management practices. pp. 36185. (In) A Text Book of Plant Nutrient Management (Prasad, R., Kumar, D., Rana, D., Shivay, Y.S. and Tewatia, R.K., Eds.), Indian Society of Agronomy, New Delhi.
Mohanty, S.K., Singh, U., Balasubramanian, V. and Jha, K. 1999. Nitrogen deep placement technologies for productivity, profitability and environmental quality of lowland rice systems. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 53: 4357.
Mueller, N.D., West, P.C., Gerber, J.S., MacDonald, G.K., Polasky,
S. and Foley, J.A. 2014. A trade-off frontier for global nitrogen use and cereal production. Environmental Research Letters 9(2014) 054002 (8 pp) (doi:10.1088/1748-9326/9/5/ 054002)
Pathak, H. 2013. Nitrogen and climate change: Interactions, impacts, mitigation and adaptation. Journal of Indian Society of Soil Science 60: 10919.
Pathak, H. 2016. Fertilizer use in Indian Agriculture: trend, budget and impacts on environment. Society for Fertilizers and Environment News 2: 23.
Pinder, R.W., Davidson, E.A., Goodale, C.L., Greaver, T.L., Herrick,
J.D. and Liu, L. 2012. Climate change impacts of US reactive nitrogen. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 109: 7,671675.
Prasad, R. 1965. Determination of potentially available nitrogen in soils-A rapid procedure. Plant and Soil 23: 26163.
Prasad, R. 2005. Ricewheat cropping systems. Advances in Agronomy 86: 255339.
Prasad, R. 2007. Crop Nutrition-Principles and Practices, New Vishal Publications, New Delhi. 272 p.
Prasad, R. 1998. Fertilizer urea, food security, health and the environment. Current Science 75: 67783.
Prasad, R. 2011. Aerobic rice systems. Advances in Agronomy 111: 20747.
Prasad, R. 2013. Population growth, food shortage and ways to alleviate hunger. Current Science 105(1): 3236.
Prasad, R. and Power, J.F. 1995. Nitrification inhibitors for agriculture, health and the environment. Advances in Agronomy 54: 23387.
Prasad, R., Rajale, G.B. and Lakhdive, B.A. 1971. Nitrification retarders and slow-release nitrogen fertilizers. Advances in Agronomy 23: 35783.
Prasad, R. and Shivay, Y.S. 2015. Fertilizer nitrogen for life, agriculture and the environment. Indian Journal of Fertilizers 11(8): 4753.
Prasad, R., Devakumar, C. and Shivay, Y.S. 1993. Significance in increasing fertilizer nitrogen efficiency. pp. 97109. (In) Neem Research and Development (Randhawa, N.S. and Parmar, B.S., Eds), Pesticide Society of India New Delhi.
Prasad, R., Pathak, H., Patra, A.K. and Shivay, Y.S. 2014. Nitrogen management. pp. 7392. (In) A Text Book of Plant Nutrient Management (Prasad, R., Kumar, D., Rana, D., Shivay, Y.S. and Tewatia, R.K., Eds.), Indian Society of Agronomy, New Delhi.
Prasad, R., Sharma, S.N., Singh, S., Devakumar, C., Saxena, V.S. and Shivay, Y.S. 2002. Neem coating of urea for environment and agriculture. Fertilizer News 47(6): 6367.
Prasad, R., Shivay, Y.S., Kumar, D., Sharma, S.N. and Devakumar,
C. 2007. Neem for sustainable agriculture and the environment: A review. Proceedings National Academy of Sciences, India 77B: 31330.
Prasad, R., Singh, S., Saxena, V.S. and Devakumar, C. 1999. Coating of prilled urea with neem (Azadirachta indica Juss) for efficient nitrogen use in rice. Naturwissenschaften 86: 538
Reay, D.S., Davidson, E.A., Smith, K.A., Smith, P., Melilo. J. M., Dentener, F. and Crutzen, P.J. 2012. Global agriculture and nitrous oxide emissions. Nature Climate Change 2: 41016.
Robertson, G.P., Bruulsema, T.W., Gehl, R.J., Kanter, D., Mauzerall, D.L., Rotz, C.A. and Williams, C.O. 2012. Nitrogen-climate interactions in US agriculture. Biogeochemistry 114: 4170.
Sahu, R., Singh, M.K. and Yadav, L. 2015. Yield and economics as influenced by nitrogen scheduling, weed-management and rice establishment methods in transplanted rice (Oryza sativa). Indian Journal of Agronomy 60(2): 26166.
Schlesinger, W.H. 2009. On the fate of anthropogenic nitrogen. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 106: 20308.
Shivay, Y.S., Prasad, R., Singh, S. and Sharma, S.N. 2001. Coating of prilled urea with neem (Azadirachta indica) for efficient nitrogen use in lowland transplanted rice 46(3): 45357.
Singh, M.V. 2008. Micronutrient deficiencies in soils and crops of India. pp. 93125. (In) Micronutrient Deficiencies in Global Crop Production (Alloway, B.J. Eds.), Springer Business Science Media.
Smith, C.W., Betran J and Runge, E.CA. (Eds.). 2004. Corn: Origin, History, Technology and Production. Wiley, USA.
Srivastava, P.C., Singh, S.K. and Mishra, B. 2006. Crop response and profitability to applied secondary and micronutrients in cereals. India Journal of Fertilisers 2(8): 4551.
Stanford, G. and Smith, S.J. 1972. Nitrogen mineralization potential of soils. Soil Science Society of America Proceedings 36: 46572.
Swaminathan, M.S. 2013. Genesis and growth of the yield revolution in wheat in India: Lessons for sharing our agricultural destiny. Agricultural Research 2: 18388.
Subbiah, B.V. and Asija, G.L. 1956. A rapid procedure for assessment of available nitrogen in rice soils. Current Science 25: 25960.
Synder, C.S. 2010. World fertilizer nitrogen consumption and challenges. Paper presented at Nitrogen Use Efficiency Conference, Stillwater, OK, USA, August 3, 2010 (via internet)
Tandon, H.L.S. 1989. Nitrogen recommendation for higher fertilizer efficiency. Fertilizer News 34(12): 6377.
Tandon, H.L.S. 1994. Fertilizer Guide. Fertilizer Development & Consultation Organization, New Delhi.
Thind, H.S., Pannu, R.P.S., Gupta, R.K., Vashishta, M., Singh, J. and Kumar, A. 2010. Relative performance of neem (Azadirachta indica ) coated urea vis--vis ordinary urea applied to rice on the basis of soil test or following need-based nitrogen management using leaf colour chart. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 87: 18.
Tilman, D., Blazer, C., Hill, J. and Befort, B.L. 2011. Global food demand and the sustainable intensification of agriculture. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 108(50): 20,260264.
Trenkel, T.M. 1997. Controlled-Release and Stabilized Fertilizers in Agriculture. International Fertilizer Industry Association, Paris. 156 p.
Varinderpal-Singh, Bijay-Singh, Yadvinder-Singh, Thind, H.S. and Gupta, R.K. 2010. Need-based nitrogen management using chlorophyll meter and leaf colour chart in South Asia: A review. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 88(3): 36180.
Venterra, R.T. and Coulter, J.A. 2015. Split application of urea does not decrease and may increase nitrous oxide emission in rainfed corn. Agronomy Journal 107(1): 33748.
Wang, G.L., Ye, Y.L., Chen, X.P. and Cui, Z.L. 2014. Determining the optimal nitrogen rate for summer maize in China by integrating agronomic, economic and environmental aspects. Biogeosciences 11: 3,031041. (doi:10.5194/bg-11-30312014)
Xia, Y. and Yan, X. 2011. Nitrogen fertilization rate recommendation integrating agronomic, environmental, and economic benefits for wheat season in the Taihu Lake region. Acta Pedologica Sinica 48: 1,210218.
Yin, F., Fu, B.J. and Mao, R.Z. 2007. Effect of nitrogen fertilizer application rates on nitrate nitrogen distribution in saline soils of the Hai River Basin. Journal of Soils and Sediments
: 13642. Zhang, F., Chen, X. and Vitousek, P. 2013. Chinese agriculture: An experiment for the world. Nature 497: 3335.
Zhang, F., Cui, Z., Fan, M., Zhang, W., Chen, X. and Chiang, R. 2011. Integrated soil-crop system management: Reducing environmental risk while increasing crop productivity and improving nutrient use efficiency in China. Journal of Environment Quality 40: 1,051057.
Zhang, M., Nyborg, M. and Ryan, J.T. 1994. Determining permeability of coatings of polymer coted urea. Fertilizer Research
Zhang, W., Tian, Z., Zhang, N. and Li, Z. 1996. Nitrate pollution of groundwater in northern China. Agriculture, Ecosystem & Environment 59: 22331.
Zhang, W.F., Dou, Z.X., He, P., Ju, X., Powlson, D., Chadwick, D., Norse, D., Lu, Y.L., Zhang, Y., Wu, L., Chen, X. P., Cassman, K.G. and Zhang, F.S. 2012. New technologies reduce greenhouse gas emissions from nitrogenous fertilizers in China. Proceedings National Academy of Sciences, USA
: 8,375380.
