Improving nitrogen use efficiency in crop production (150)

This collection reviews the wealth of research on ways of improving nitrogen use efficiency in crop production as a means of reducing the agricultural sector’s environmental impact and rebalancing the global nitrogen cycle. “Nitrogen is required for food production but most of it is released to the environment where it causes a cascade of negative impacts. This timely book provides an excellent overview of nitrogen use in agriculture and most especially suggestions on how to maximize the benefits of nitrogen while minimizing its detrimental impacts.” James N. Galloway, Sidman P. Poole Professor, Emeritus, University of Virginia, USAIn the last 60 years fertiliser use in agriculture has increased by 900%. However, it’s been reported that up to 80% of these fertilisers are not utilised by crops but are lost to the environment as nitrous oxide, ammonia and nitrate. Improving nitrogen use efficiency is recognised as one possible solution to reducing the sector’s environmental impact and optimising its productivity and sustainability in the face of increasing pressure to feed a growing population.Improving nitrogen use efficiency in crop production reviews recent advances in understanding nitrogen cycling in soil as well as advances in monitoring nitrogen status and synchronising fertiliser application. The book also considers developments in inorganic fertilisers to improve nitrogen use efficiency, as well as how more organic sources of nitrogen, such as livestock manure, can be optimised to achieve the same goal.With its comprehensive exploration of nitrogen use efficiency, the book showcases the key role agriculture can play in restoring balance to the global nitrogen cycle.Featuring contributions from internationally-renowned experts, the book will be a standard reference for researchers in agricultural and environmental science, government and other agencies advising on fertiliser use and its environmental impact, farmers, agronomists, as well as companies manufacturing fertilisers.Professor Jagdish Kumar Ladha is Adjunct Professor in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of California-Davis, USA and is internationally renowned for his pioneering research on sustainable resource use in agriculture. In addition to numerous awards for his research, he is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Indian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the Crop Science Society of America, the American Society of Agronomy, and the Soil Science Society of America. Professor Ladha is also co-Editor in Chief of Field Crops Research. “This book is a jewel, its many facets revealing the full range of advanced technical and technological data and innovative strategies in nitrogen management aimed at improving agricultural productivity and supporting sustainable and resilient agriculture, while also minimizing negative environmental impacts in line with sustainable development goals.” (Book Review Published in International Journal of Environmental Studies – Professor Nadia Boutaleb, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Morocco)In the last 60 years fertiliser use in agriculture has increased by 900%. However, it’s been reported that up to 80% of these fertilisers are not utilised by crops but are lost to the environment as nitrous oxide, ammonia and nitrate. Improving nitrogen use efficiency is recognised as one possible solution to reducing the sector’s environmental impact and optimising its productivity and sustainability in the face of increasing pressure to feed a growing population. Improving nitrogen use efficiency in crop production reviews recent advances in understanding nitrogen cycling in soil as well as advances in monitoring nitrogen status and synchronising fertiliser application. The book also considers developments in inorganic fertilisers to improve nitrogen use efficiency, as well as how more organic sources of nitrogen, such as livestock manure, can be optimised to achieve the same goal.