Plant nutrient management and risks of nitrous oxide emission

Abstract

A great deal of work remains to identify and implement agricultural nutrient management practices that can improve crop yields and quality in an economic manner, while also reducing the impact of N on the environment. There are significant hurdles which must be overcome to help farmers, and others within the agricultural community and society at large understand and value improved in-field and on-farm, site-specific nutrient management to help minimize the direct and indirect emissions of N2O. All principles of 4R Nutrient Stewardship-not just N rate management-need to be employed on more lands by US farmers to achieve better N use efficiency and effectiveness. The skills and management advice of certified crop advisers, extension workers, and other agricultural professionals should be increasingly sought by more farmers as they strive to achieve economic, social, and environmental objectives. To sum up, we quote Cassman et al. (2003): . . . an environmentally proactive agriculture will be required to meet food demand and protect natural resources and environmental quality. It will require policies and markets that direct intensification to existing prime agricultural land while avoiding expansion of cultivated area into natural ecosystems. It also will require substantial investments in research and extension to support scientific advances and timely development and adoption of innovative new technologies. Copyright © 2012 Soil and Water Conservation Society. All rights reserved.