Improving Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Crop Production

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.

“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.