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Zhan X, Zhang Q, Li M, Hou X, Shang Z, Liu Z, He Y. The shape of reactive nitrogen losses from intensive farmland in China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 915:170014. [PMID: 38232853 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Reactive nitrogen (Nr) pollution has changed radically accompanied by severe intensive farming. This pollution further contributes to ecological degradation and climate warming. Despite this recognition, little is known about the spatial pattern of various Nr loss from croplands and corresponding environmental costs. Here, we identified the major pathway of Nr loss based on provincial estimates in 2008 and 2018, and validated by synchronous observation of ammonia volatilization, N runoff and N leaching using historical literature synthesis. We also evaluated environmental costs at provincial scale and detected the influence factors that dominating the pollution swapping among different Nr forms. Our results show that the total Nr loss was 6.28 ± 1.81 and 5.56 ± 2.30 Tg N yr-1 for Chinese croplands in 2008 and 2018. Ammonia volatilization, which accounted for more than half of the total Nr at the national scale, was proven to be the major Nr loss for two-thirds of the provinces and 80 % of the field observations. The contribution of runoff, which is dominant by precipitation, soil clay content and CEC, was gradually smaller than that of leaching from southeast to northwest. Ammonia and nitrous oxide contributed of 59.3 % ∼ 65.4 % of TNr but 80.9 % ∼ 81.5 % of total environmental damage caused by Nr in China. The use of nitrification inhibitors and straw return indicated pollution swapping among various Nr forms. This study emphasizes that the future practices to reduce total Nr loss need to account for local environmental conditions and have pollution swapping in sights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoying Zhan
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
| | - Qingwen Zhang
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Ming Li
- College of forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Xikang Hou
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecological Conservation and Restoration, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Ziyin Shang
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Zhen Liu
- Cangzhou Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Cangzhou 061001, China
| | - Yaping He
- China Institute of Geo-Environment Monitoring, Beijing 100037, China
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2
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Zheng L, Adalibieke W, Zhou F, He P, Chen Y, Guo P, He J, Zhang Y, Xu P, Wang C, Ye J, Zhu L, Shen G, Fu TM, Yang X, Zhao S, Hakami A, Russell AG, Tao S, Meng J, Shen H. Health burden from food systems is highly unequal across income groups. NATURE FOOD 2024; 5:251-261. [PMID: 38486126 DOI: 10.1038/s43016-024-00946-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Food consumption contributes to the degradation of air quality in regions where food is produced, creating a contrast between the health burden caused by a specific population through its food consumption and that faced by this same population as a consequence of food production activities. Here we explore this inequality within China's food system by linking air-pollution-related health burden from production to consumption, at high levels of spatial and sectorial granularity. We find that low-income groups bear a 70% higher air-pollution-related health burden from food production than from food consumption, while high-income groups benefit from a 29% lower health burden relative to their food consumption. This discrepancy largely stems from a concentration of low-income residents in food production areas, exposed to higher emissions from agriculture. Comprehensive interventions targeting both production and consumption sides can effectively reduce health damages and concurrently mitigate associated inequalities, while singular interventions exhibit limited efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianming Zheng
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement and Early Warning Technology for Urban Environmental Health Risks, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Observation and Research Station for Coastal Atmosphere and Climate of the Greater Bay Area, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wulahati Adalibieke
- Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- College of Geography and Remote Sensing, Hohai University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Pan He
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
| | - Yilin Chen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement and Early Warning Technology for Urban Environmental Health Risks, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Observation and Research Station for Coastal Atmosphere and Climate of the Greater Bay Area, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- School of Urban Planning and Design, Peking University, Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Peng Guo
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement and Early Warning Technology for Urban Environmental Health Risks, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Observation and Research Station for Coastal Atmosphere and Climate of the Greater Bay Area, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jinling He
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement and Early Warning Technology for Urban Environmental Health Risks, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Observation and Research Station for Coastal Atmosphere and Climate of the Greater Bay Area, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yuanzheng Zhang
- Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Xu
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Chen Wang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement and Early Warning Technology for Urban Environmental Health Risks, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Observation and Research Station for Coastal Atmosphere and Climate of the Greater Bay Area, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jianhuai Ye
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement and Early Warning Technology for Urban Environmental Health Risks, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Observation and Research Station for Coastal Atmosphere and Climate of the Greater Bay Area, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lei Zhu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement and Early Warning Technology for Urban Environmental Health Risks, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Observation and Research Station for Coastal Atmosphere and Climate of the Greater Bay Area, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Guofeng Shen
- Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Tzung-May Fu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement and Early Warning Technology for Urban Environmental Health Risks, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Observation and Research Station for Coastal Atmosphere and Climate of the Greater Bay Area, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xin Yang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement and Early Warning Technology for Urban Environmental Health Risks, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Observation and Research Station for Coastal Atmosphere and Climate of the Greater Bay Area, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shunliu Zhao
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Amir Hakami
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Armistead G Russell
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Shu Tao
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement and Early Warning Technology for Urban Environmental Health Risks, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Observation and Research Station for Coastal Atmosphere and Climate of the Greater Bay Area, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Meng
- The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Huizhong Shen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement and Early Warning Technology for Urban Environmental Health Risks, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Observation and Research Station for Coastal Atmosphere and Climate of the Greater Bay Area, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
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3
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Zhang H, Adalibieke W, Ba W, Butterbach-Bahl K, Yu L, Cai A, Fu J, Yu H, Zhang W, Huang W, Jian Y, Jiang W, Zhao Z, Luo J, Deng J, Zhou F. Modeling denitrification nitrogen losses in China's rice fields based on multiscale field-experiment constraints. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17199. [PMID: 38385944 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Denitrification plays a critical role in soil nitrogen (N) cycling, affecting N availability in agroecosystems. However, the challenges in direct measurement of denitrification products (NO, N2 O, and N2 ) hinder our understanding of denitrification N losses patterns across the spatial scale. To address this gap, we constructed a data-model fusion method to map the county-scale denitrification N losses from China's rice fields over the past decade. The estimated denitrification N losses as a percentage of N application from 2009 to 2018 were 11.8 ± 4.0% for single rice, 12.4 ± 3.7% for early rice, and 11.6 ± 3.1% for late rice. The model results showed that the spatial heterogeneity of denitrification N losses is primarily driven by edaphic and climatic factors rather than by management practices. In particular, diffusion and production rates emerged as key contributors to the variation of denitrification N losses. These findings humanize a 38.9 ± 4.8 kg N ha-1 N loss by denitrification and challenge the common hypothesis that substrate availability drives the pattern of N losses by denitrification in rice fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huayan Zhang
- Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Wulahati Adalibieke
- Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Wenxin Ba
- Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | | | - Longfei Yu
- Institute of Environment and Ecology, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Andong Cai
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jin Fu
- College of Geography and Remote Sensing, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
| | - Haoming Yu
- Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Wantong Zhang
- Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Weichen Huang
- Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yiwei Jian
- Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Wenjun Jiang
- Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Zheng Zhao
- Institute of Ecological Environment Protection Research, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiafa Luo
- AgResearch Ruakura, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Jia Deng
- Earth Systems Research Center, Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Feng Zhou
- Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- College of Geography and Remote Sensing, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
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4
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Adalibieke W, Cui X, Cai H, You L, Zhou F. Global crop-specific nitrogen fertilization dataset in 1961-2020. Sci Data 2023; 10:617. [PMID: 37696817 PMCID: PMC10495426 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02526-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) is an important nutrient for crop growth. However, the overuse of N fertilizers has led to a series of devastating global environmental issues. Recent studies show that multiple datasets have been created for agricultural N fertilizer application with varied temporal or spatial resolutions, nevertheless, how to synchronize and use these datasets becomes problematic due to the inconsistent temporal coverages, spatial resolutions, and crop-specific allocations. Here we reconstructed a comprehensive dataset for crop-specific N fertilization at 5-arc-min resolution (~10 km by 10 km) during 1961-2020, including N application rate, types, and placements. The N fertilization data was segmented by 21 crop groups, 13 fertilizer types, and 2 fertilization placements. Comparison analysis showed that our dataset is aligned with previous estimates. Our spatiotemporal N fertilization dataset could be used for the land surface models to quantify the effects of agricultural N fertilization practices on food security, climate change, and environmental sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wulahati Adalibieke
- Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Xiaoqing Cui
- Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Hongwei Cai
- Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Liangzhi You
- International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington, DC20005, USA
| | - Feng Zhou
- Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
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5
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Cai S, Zhao X, Liu X, Yan X. Nitrogen management to minimize yield-scaled ammonia emission from paddy rice in the Middle and Lower Yangtze River Basin: A meta-analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 318:120854. [PMID: 36509351 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Paddy fields in China contributed to one third of the global cropland ammonia (NH3) emission inventory, while rice accounted for half of cereal consumption, necessitating exhaustive considerations of the balance between NH3 emissions abatement and food demand. The concept of yield-scaled emission intensity (emissions per unit crop production) has the potential to guide sustainable intensification strategies, yet its application to NH3 emissions remains poorly understood. Here, by constructing novel crop-specific models for single rice production and NH3 emissions in the Middle and Lower Yangtze River Basin (LYRB) as a case study, the relationships between fertilizer N application and yield-scaled NH3 were estimated. Contrary to our hypothesis of a tipping point, our results showed that yield-scaled NH3 curves could not directly identify optimal nitrogen (N) rates. However, the benefit of lower N fertilizer rate on NH3 abatement consistently outweighed the risk of yield loss. The exponential relationships between yield-scaled NH3 and N surplus allowed us to estimate the N surplus criterion as 15.6 kg N ha-1 (or 190 kg N ha-1 fertilizer N rate) for the LYRB. Under the N surplus criterion, NH3 emissions can be reduced by 23-27% without severely impacting rice yield, compared to the N rate required for the highest yield. Moreover, five major controlling factors for yield-scaled NH3 were estimated by random forest models, ranked in order of importance as N rate, total N, K rate, mean annual precipitation, and soil organic carbon. Among the agricultural practices (irrigation, tillage, and fertilizer management), deep placement was the most effective measure to reduce yield-scaled NH3, showing 48% reduction potential, followed by proper N splitting frequency (43%). Overall, this study highlights the efficacy of N application optimization and targeted farm management in mitigating NH3 emission while maintaining crop productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyuan Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Changshu National Agro-Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Xu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Changshu National Agro-Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China.
| | - Xuejun Liu
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Xiaoyuan Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Changshu National Agro-Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
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6
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He Z, Zhang Y, Liu X, Xu W, Hou Y, Wang H, Zhang F. Ammonia mitigation potential in an optimized crop-layer production system. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 841:156701. [PMID: 35716757 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Livestock and crop production are the main sources of ammonia (NH3) emissions, which are known to degrade the air quality. Numerous studies have been conducted to explore the mitigation potential of various approaches, although few have examined the systematic NH3 emission mitigation potential when considering both crop and livestock systems based on coherent in situ measurement results. Herein, we design an optimal system wherein coupled crop and layer production systems reveal feasible approaches for significant mitigation potential at each stage of the process. Specifically, these measures involve (i) using a low crude protein (LCP) feed, (ii) composting manure with certain additives, and (iii) substituting manure with optimal fertilization in a summer maize-winter wheat cropping system. The results show that (i) LCP feed leads to a 14 % reduction in NH3 emissions at the housing stage, (ii) introducing additives during the composing stage reduces NH3 emissions by 16 %-46 %, and (iii) the NH3 reduction potential reaches 35 %-44 % at the field application stage. In the overall crop-layer system, the optimal system with the improved management strategy applied at every stage results in a 48 % and 56 % reduction in NH3 emissions for per unit eggs and grain production, respectively, relative to a traditional production system. This study confirms that NH3 emissions can be cut in half by implementing optimal crop-livestock systems with appropriate mitigation approaches. This is a feasible model that can be promoted and extended in various agricultural areas, which together with technological, policy, and economic support can enable significant mitigation potential for sustainable agriculture development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhilong He
- National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions of MOE, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions of MOE, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya 572000, China.
| | - Xuejun Liu
- National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions of MOE, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Wen Xu
- National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions of MOE, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yong Hou
- National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions of MOE, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Hongliang Wang
- National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions of MOE, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Fusuo Zhang
- National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions of MOE, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
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Abdo AI, Sun D, Li Y, Yang J, Metwally MS, Abdel-Hamed EMW, Wei H, Zhang J. Coupling the environmental impacts of reactive nitrogen losses and yield responses of staple crops in China. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:927935. [PMID: 36092406 PMCID: PMC9450997 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.927935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Cropland reactive nitrogen losses (Nr) are of the greatest challenges facing sustainable agricultural intensification to meet the increases in food demand. The environmental impacts of Nr losses and their yield responses to the mitigation strategies were not completely evaluated. We assessed the environmental impacts of Nr losses in China and coupled the efficiency of mitigation actions with yield responses. Datasets about Nr losses in China were collected, converted into potentials of acidification (AP), global warming (GWP), and aquatic eutrophication (AEP), and analyzed by a meta-analysis program. Results showed that producing 1 Mg of rice grains had the highest AP (153 kg acid equiv.), while wheat had the highest GWP and AEP (74 kg CO2 equiv. and 0.37 kg PO4 equiv., respectively). Using the conventional rates (averagely, 200, 230, and 215 kg N ha-1) of urea as a surface application to produce 131.4, 257.2, and 212.1 Tg of wheat, maize, and rice resulted in 17-33 Tg, 7-10 Tg, and 6-87 Gg of AP, GWP, and AEP, respectively. For their balanced effect on reducing AP, GWP, and AEP while maximizing yields, inhibitors, and subsurface application could be set as the best mitigation strategies in wheat production. Inhibitors usage and biochar are strongly recommended strategies for sustainable production of maize. None of the investigated strategies had a balanced effect on rice yield and the environment, thus new mitigation technologies should be developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed I. Abdo
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Eco-circular Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Soil Science Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
- Department of Ecology, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Centre of Modern Eco-agriculture and Circular Agriculture, Guangzhou, China
| | - Daolin Sun
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Eco-circular Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Ecology, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Centre of Modern Eco-agriculture and Circular Agriculture, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yazheng Li
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Eco-circular Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Ecology, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Centre of Modern Eco-agriculture and Circular Agriculture, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiayue Yang
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Eco-circular Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Ecology, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Centre of Modern Eco-agriculture and Circular Agriculture, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mohamed S. Metwally
- Soil Science Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | | | - Hui Wei
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Eco-circular Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Ecology, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Centre of Modern Eco-agriculture and Circular Agriculture, Guangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Environment in the Tropics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiaen Zhang
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Eco-circular Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Ecology, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Centre of Modern Eco-agriculture and Circular Agriculture, Guangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Environment in the Tropics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
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8
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Cui X, Shang Z, Xia L, Xu R, Adalibieke W, Zhan X, Smith P, Zhou F. Deceleration of Cropland-N 2O Emissions in China and Future Mitigation Potentials. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:4665-4675. [PMID: 35254824 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c07276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Agricultural soils are the largest anthropogenic emission source of nitrous oxide (N2O). National agricultural policies have been implemented to increase crop yield and reduce nitrogen (N) losses to the environment. However, it is difficult to effectively quantify crop-specific and regional N2O mitigation priorities driven by policies, due to lack of long-term, high-resolution crop-specific activity data, and oversimplified models. Here, we quantify the spatiotemporal changes and key drivers of crop-specific cropland-N2O emissions from China between 1980 and 2017, and future N2O mitigation potentials, using a linear mixed-effect model and survey-based data set of agricultural management measures. Cropland-N2O emissions from China tripled from 102.5 to 315.0 Gg N yr-1 between 1980 and 2017, and decelerated since 1998 mainly driven by country-wide deceleration and decrease in N rate and the changes in sowing structure. About 63% of N2O emissions could be reduced in 2050, primarily in the North China Plain and Northeast China Plain; 83% of which is from the production of maize (33%), vegetables (27%), and fruits (23%). The deceleration of N2O emissions highlights that policy interventions and agronomy practices (i.e., optimizing N rate and sowing structure) are potential pathways for further ambitious N2O mitigation in China and other developing countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqing Cui
- Sino-France Institute of Earth Systems Science, Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China
| | - Ziyin Shang
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100871, PR China
| | - Longlong Xia
- Institute for Meteorology and Climate Research (IMK-IFU), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Garmisch-Partenkirchen 82467, Germany
| | - Rongting Xu
- Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, United States
| | - Wulahati Adalibieke
- Sino-France Institute of Earth Systems Science, Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China
| | - Xiaoying Zhan
- Agricultural Clean Watershed Research Group, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Beijing 100081, PR China
| | - Pete Smith
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UU, U.K
| | - Feng Zhou
- Sino-France Institute of Earth Systems Science, Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China
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Asibi AE, Yin W, Hu F, Fan Z, Gou Z, Yang H, Guo Y, Chai Q. Optimized nitrogen rate, plant density, and irrigation level reduced ammonia emission and nitrate leaching on maize farmland in the oasis area of China. PeerJ 2022; 10:e12762. [PMID: 35111400 PMCID: PMC8783566 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Nitrogen fertilizers play a key role in crop production to meet global food demand. Inappropriate application of nitrogen fertilizer coupled with poor irrigation and other crop management practices threaten agriculture and environmental sustainability. Over application of nitrogen fertilizer increases nitrogen gas emission and nitrate leaching. A field experiment was conducted in China's oasis irrigation area in 2018 and 2019 to determine which nitrogen rate, plant density, and irrigation level in sole maize (Zea mays L.) cropping system reduce ammonia emission and nitrate leaching. Three nitrogen rates of urea (46-0-0 of N-P2O5-K2O), at (N0 = 0 kg N ha-1, N1 = 270 kg N ha-1, and N2 = 360 kg N ha-1) were combined with three plant densities (D1 = 75,000 plants/ha-1, D2 = 97,500 plants/ha-1, and D3 = 120,000 plants/ha-1) with two irrigation levels (W1 = 5,250 m3/hm2 and W2 = 4,740 m3/hm2) using a randomized complete block design. The results showed that, both the main and interaction effects of nitrogen rate, plant density, and irrigation level reduced nitrate leaching (p < 0.05). In addition, irrigation level × nitrogen rate significantly (p < 0.05) reduced ammonia emission. Nitrate leaching and ammonia emission decreased with higher irrigation level and higher plant density. However, high nitrogen rates increased both nitrate leaching and ammonia emission. The study found lowest leaching (0.35 mg kg-1) occurring at the interaction of 270 kg N ha-1 × 120,000 plants/ha-1 × 4,740 m3/hm2, and higher plant density of 120,000 plants/ha-1 combined with 0 kg N ha-1 and irrigation level of 5,250 m3/hm2 recorded the lowest ammonia emission (0.001 kg N)-1. Overall, ammonia emission increased as days after planting increased while nitrate leaching decreased in deeper soil depths. These findings show that, though the contributory roles of days after planting, soil depth, amount of nitrogen fertilizer applied and year of cultivation cannot be undermined, it is possible to reduce nitrate leaching and ammonia emission through optimized nitrogen rate, plant density and regulated irrigation for agricultural and environmental sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aziiba Emmanuel Asibi
- State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
- College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
- Council for Scientific and Industrial Research–Savanna Agricultural Research Institute, Bawku, Ghana
| | - Wen Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
- College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Falong Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
- College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zhilong Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
- College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zhiwen Gou
- State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
- College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Hongwei Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
- College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yao Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
- College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Qiang Chai
- State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
- College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
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