Fertilizers and environment: Issues and challenges

Abstract

About 50 % of the increase in agricultural produce during the twentieth century was achieved by application of inorganic fertilizers to crop plants. Fertilizer application is still an important farm input that is required to achieve challenging yield targets of the twenty-first century. However, fertilizer application is known to deteriorate the environment around us. Therefore, better fertilizer use efficiency (FUE) is suggested for economical yields and a safer environment. This chapter first introduces the concept of FUE for a safer environment and then, subsequent topics detail factors affecting FUE and known management practices to enhance FUE at agricultural farms. Future research challenges relating to FUE and the environment are identified. The chapter, as a whole, summarizes important literature for farmers, policy makers, and scientists.