Fertilizers And Environment

Soil and Fertilizers: Managing the Environmental Footprint presents strategies to improve soil health by reducing the rate of fertilizer input while maintaining high agronomic yields. It is estimated that fertilizer use supported nearly half of global births in 2008. In a context of potential food insecurity exacerbated by population growth and climate change, the importance of fertilizers in sustaining the agronomic production is clear. However, excessive use of chemical fertilizers poses serious risks both to the environment and to human health. Highlighting a tenfold increase in global fertilizer consumption between 2002 and 2016, the book explains the effects on the quality of soil, water, air and biota from overuse of chemical fertilizers. Written by an interdisciplinary author team, this book presents methods for enhancing the efficiency of fertilizer use and outlines agricultural practices that can reduce the environmental footprint. Features: Includes a thorough literature review on the agronomic and environmental impact of fertilizer, from degradation of ecosystems to the eutrophication of drinking water Devotes specific chapters to enhancing the use efficiency and effectiveness of the fertilizers through improved formulations, time and mode of application, and the use of precision farming technology Reveals geographic variation in fertilizer consumption volume by presenting case studies for specific countries and regions, including India and Africa Discusses the pros and cons of organic vs. chemical fertilizers, innovative technologies including nuclear energy, and the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals Part of the Advances in Soil Sciences series, this solutions-focused volume will appeal to soil scientists, environmental scientists and agricultural engineers.

This book describes many important principles of fertilizer management and the environmental pollution problems due to the indiscriminate soil fertilization rate. The long-term impacts of organic or mineral fertilizer use have implications on soil fertility, crop yields, water quality, climatic change, greenhouse gas emissions, etc. Twelve chapters provide the state of the art of some important topics on subsistence agriculture, modern agronomy, and technological improvements which have sharply increased yields from cultivation, with a special emphasis on the sustainable management and environmental impact of commercial and nontraditional fertilizers. Without a doubt, this book is a valuable contribution to the agricultural sciences and it would not have been possible without the invaluable contributions, immeasurable acknowledgements, and recognized expertise from the authors.

A number of countries in Europe and North America have been using fertilizers heavily for a number of years and particulary since 1945. This high level of fertilizer applications is essential to supply the necessary food for increasing populations and to meet higher demands for animal and plant products. Effects of fertilizer use on the environment should show first in countries where fertilizers have been used intensively for some time and where consumption is steadily rising. It is the experience gained in such countries which is being discussed below with a view to assessing the impact of fertilizers on the human environment, including the development of methods for recognizing and minimizing any undersirable consequences which may be produced. It should be realized that high densities of human population combined with intensive crop and livestock production have led to the production of organic wastes at a rate too high for natural processes to convert it in ecologically safe compounds. Therefore both direct and indirect effects of intensive fertilizer use have been reviewed.

Fertilizers contribute to the variety, abundance, and low cost of food stuffs available to the public. However, fertilizer misuse can lower air, soil, and water quality. Regulators are scrutinizing fertilizers now more than ever because of their impact on the environment. This book provides an analysis of perchlorate in highly dissolved solid matrices and health issues of trace metals in fertilizers. This book focuses on nutrient impacts to water and the environment. Contributors include state and federal regulators, industry professionals, environmental consultants, and those in academia.

This non-technical report summarises the present scientific understanding of the major issues surrounding reactive nitrogen, and discusses the overarching environmental, human health and economic issues created by both excesses and deficiencies. The report provides case studies of effective policy implementation and reviews emerging policies to show how negative impacts associated with reactive nitrogen may be successfully addressed locally, nationally and regionally, given similar challenges, shared experiences and effective solutions.

Nitrogen is an essential element for plant growth and development and a key agricultural input-but in excess it can lead to a host of problems for human and ecological health. Across the globe, distribution of fertilizer nitrogen is very uneven, with some areas subject to nitrogen pollution and others suffering from reduced soil fertility, diminished crop production, and other consequences of inadequate supply. Agriculture and the Nitrogen Cycle provides a global assessment of the role of nitrogen fertilizer in the nitrogen cycle. The focus of the book is regional, emphasizing the need to maintain food and fiber production while minimizing environmental impacts where fertilizer is abundant, and the need to enhance fertilizer utilization in systems where nitrogen is limited. The book is derived from a workshop held by the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) in Kampala, Uganda, that brought together the world's leading scientists to examine and discuss the nitrogen cycle and related problems. It contains an overview chapter that summarizes the group's findings, four chapters on cross-cutting issues, and thirteen background chapters. The book offers a unique synthesis and provides an up-to-date, broad perspective on the issues of nitrogen fertilizer in food production and the interaction of nitrogen and the environment.

Controlled Release Fertilizers for Sustainable Agriculture provides a comprehensive examination of precision fertilizer applications using the 4-R approach—the right amount of fertilizer at the right time to the right plant at the correct stage of plant growth. This volume consolidates detailed information on each aspect of controlled release fertilizers, including up-to-date literature citations, the current market for controlled release fertilizers and patents. Presenting the tremendous advances in experimental and theoretical studies on sustainable agriculture and related areas, this book provides in-depth insight into state-of-the-art controlled release mechanisms of fertilizers, techniques, and their use in sustainable agriculture. Conventional release mechanisms have historically meant waste of fertilizers and the adverse effects of that waste on the environment. Controlled release delivery makes significant strides in enhancing fertilizer benefit to the target plant, while protecting the surrounding environment and increasing sustainability. Presents cutting-edge interdisciplinary insights specifically focused on the controlled release of fertilizers Explores the benefits and challenges of 4-R fertilizer use Includes expertise from leading researchers in the fields of agriculture, polymer science, and nanotechnology working in industry, academics, government, and private research institutions across the globe Presents the tremendous advances in experimental and theoretical studies on sustainable agriculture and related areas