Fertilization strategies for abating N pollution at the scale of a highly vulnerable and diverse semi-arid agricultural region (Murcia, Spain)
Overuse of N fertilizers in crops has induced the disruption of the N cycle, triggering the release of reactive N (Nr) to the environment. Several EU policies have been developed to address this challenge, establishing targets to reduce agricultural Nr losses. Their achievement could be materialized...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/acd709 |
| _version_ | 1797747304319418368 |
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| author | Alberto Sanz-Cobena Luis Lassaletta Alfredo Rodríguez Eduardo Aguilera Pablo Piñero Marta Moro Josette Garnier Gilles Billen Rasmus Einarsson Zhaohai Bai Lin Ma Ivanka Puigdueta Margarita Ruíz-Ramos Antonio Vallejo Mohammad Zaman Juan Infante-Amate Benjamín S Gimeno |
| author_facet | Alberto Sanz-Cobena Luis Lassaletta Alfredo Rodríguez Eduardo Aguilera Pablo Piñero Marta Moro Josette Garnier Gilles Billen Rasmus Einarsson Zhaohai Bai Lin Ma Ivanka Puigdueta Margarita Ruíz-Ramos Antonio Vallejo Mohammad Zaman Juan Infante-Amate Benjamín S Gimeno |
| author_sort | Alberto Sanz-Cobena |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Overuse of N fertilizers in crops has induced the disruption of the N cycle, triggering the release of reactive N (Nr) to the environment. Several EU policies have been developed to address this challenge, establishing targets to reduce agricultural Nr losses. Their achievement could be materialized through the introduction of fertilizing innovations such as incorporating fertilizer into soils, using urease inhibitors, or by adjusting N inputs to crop needs that could impact in both yields and environment. The Murcia region (southeastern Spain) was selected as a paradigmatic case study, since overfertilization has induced severe environmental problems in the region in the last decade, to assess the impact of a set of 8 N fertilizing alternatives on crop yields and environmental Nr losses. Some of these practices imply the reduction of N entering in crops. We followed an integrated approach analyzing the evolution of the region in the long-term (1860–2018) and considering nested spatial- (from grid to region) and systems scales (from crops to the full agro-food system). We hypothesized that, even despite reduction of N inputs, suitable solutions for the abatement of Nr can be identified without compromising crop yields. The most effective option to reduce Nr losses was removing synthetic N fertilizers, leading to 75% reductions in N surpluses mainly due to a reduction of 64% of N inputs, but with associated yield penalties (31%–35%). The most feasible alternative was the removal of urea, resulting in 19% reductions of N inputs, 15%–21% declines in N surplus, and negligible yield losses. While these measures are applied at the field scale, their potential to produce a valuable change can only be assessed at regional scale. Because of this, a spatial analysis was performed showing that largest Nr losses occurred in irrigated horticultural crops. The policy implications of the results are discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:48:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-60b9002cba35412a80d88fb1db630a26 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:48:52Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-60b9002cba35412a80d88fb1db630a262023-08-09T15:17:08ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262023-01-0118606403010.1088/1748-9326/acd709Fertilization strategies for abating N pollution at the scale of a highly vulnerable and diverse semi-arid agricultural region (Murcia, Spain)Alberto Sanz-Cobena0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2119-5620Luis Lassaletta1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9428-2149Alfredo Rodríguez2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7987-1623Eduardo Aguilera3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4382-124XPablo Piñero4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1027-944XMarta Moro5Josette Garnier6https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9416-9242Gilles Billen7https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4413-4169Rasmus Einarsson8https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7587-6280Zhaohai Bai9Lin Ma10Ivanka Puigdueta11Margarita Ruíz-Ramos12https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0212-3381Antonio Vallejo13Mohammad Zaman14Juan Infante-Amate15https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1446-7181Benjamín S Gimeno16CEIGRAM, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid , Madrid, SpainCEIGRAM, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid , Madrid, SpainDepartment of Economic Analysis and Finances, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha , 45071 Toledo, SpainCEIGRAM, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid , Madrid, SpainCEIGRAM, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid , Madrid, SpainCEIGRAM, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid , Madrid, SpainSU CNRS EPHE, Umr Metis , Paris, FranceSU CNRS EPHE, Umr Metis , Paris, FranceDepartment of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences , Uppsala, SwedenHebei Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetic and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Shijiazhuang, Hebei, People’s Republic of ChinaHebei Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetic and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Shijiazhuang, Hebei, People’s Republic of ChinaUniversitat Politècnica de València , Valencia, SpainCEIGRAM, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid , Madrid, SpainCEIGRAM, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid , Madrid, SpainSoil and Water Management and Crop Nutrition, Joint FAO, IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture , Vienna, AustriaDepartment of Economic Theory and History, University of Granada , Granada, SpainInstituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), CSIC , Madrid, SpainOveruse of N fertilizers in crops has induced the disruption of the N cycle, triggering the release of reactive N (Nr) to the environment. Several EU policies have been developed to address this challenge, establishing targets to reduce agricultural Nr losses. Their achievement could be materialized through the introduction of fertilizing innovations such as incorporating fertilizer into soils, using urease inhibitors, or by adjusting N inputs to crop needs that could impact in both yields and environment. The Murcia region (southeastern Spain) was selected as a paradigmatic case study, since overfertilization has induced severe environmental problems in the region in the last decade, to assess the impact of a set of 8 N fertilizing alternatives on crop yields and environmental Nr losses. Some of these practices imply the reduction of N entering in crops. We followed an integrated approach analyzing the evolution of the region in the long-term (1860–2018) and considering nested spatial- (from grid to region) and systems scales (from crops to the full agro-food system). We hypothesized that, even despite reduction of N inputs, suitable solutions for the abatement of Nr can be identified without compromising crop yields. The most effective option to reduce Nr losses was removing synthetic N fertilizers, leading to 75% reductions in N surpluses mainly due to a reduction of 64% of N inputs, but with associated yield penalties (31%–35%). The most feasible alternative was the removal of urea, resulting in 19% reductions of N inputs, 15%–21% declines in N surplus, and negligible yield losses. While these measures are applied at the field scale, their potential to produce a valuable change can only be assessed at regional scale. Because of this, a spatial analysis was performed showing that largest Nr losses occurred in irrigated horticultural crops. The policy implications of the results are discussed.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/acd709nitrogenammonianitrous oxidemediterranean regionfertilizing practices |
| spellingShingle | Alberto Sanz-Cobena Luis Lassaletta Alfredo Rodríguez Eduardo Aguilera Pablo Piñero Marta Moro Josette Garnier Gilles Billen Rasmus Einarsson Zhaohai Bai Lin Ma Ivanka Puigdueta Margarita Ruíz-Ramos Antonio Vallejo Mohammad Zaman Juan Infante-Amate Benjamín S Gimeno Fertilization strategies for abating N pollution at the scale of a highly vulnerable and diverse semi-arid agricultural region (Murcia, Spain) Environmental Research Letters nitrogen ammonia nitrous oxide mediterranean region fertilizing practices |
| title | Fertilization strategies for abating N pollution at the scale of a highly vulnerable and diverse semi-arid agricultural region (Murcia, Spain) |
| title_full | Fertilization strategies for abating N pollution at the scale of a highly vulnerable and diverse semi-arid agricultural region (Murcia, Spain) |
| title_fullStr | Fertilization strategies for abating N pollution at the scale of a highly vulnerable and diverse semi-arid agricultural region (Murcia, Spain) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fertilization strategies for abating N pollution at the scale of a highly vulnerable and diverse semi-arid agricultural region (Murcia, Spain) |
| title_short | Fertilization strategies for abating N pollution at the scale of a highly vulnerable and diverse semi-arid agricultural region (Murcia, Spain) |
| title_sort | fertilization strategies for abating n pollution at the scale of a highly vulnerable and diverse semi arid agricultural region murcia spain |
| topic | nitrogen ammonia nitrous oxide mediterranean region fertilizing practices |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/acd709 |
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