agriculture nitrogen News

Combating soil erosion is a primary concern for agricultural producers in the United States, and many have incorporated conservation tillage systems in their effort to maintain a profitable crop output. Cover crops are an important tool in this cycle, and while it is known that using nitrogen fertilizers can increase these crops biomass, the resulting levels of nitrogen for the following cash ...

Oct. 1, 2008

By Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)

MITERRA-EUROPE is a new tool that models the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus, among other key pollutants, used in agriculture across all 27 Member States at regional, country and EU-27 levels. It can be used to calculate the effects of different strategies to minimise excess pollution.  Many regions in the EU-27 use more nitrogen and phosphorus in agriculture than is required. The main sources ...

Mar. 18, 2009

By European Commission, Environment DG

Contrary to the prevailing view, cereal crops derive the majority of their nitrogen from the soil, not fertilizer. Soils differ considerably in microbial activities that determine nitrogen-supplying power, and these differences must be taken into account if nitrogen fertilizers are to be used efficiently. The Illinois Soil Nitrogen Test (ISNT) was developed for this purpose, and involves ...

May 12, 2009

By ScienceDaily

Registrations are now open for the 17th Australian Nitrogen Fixation Conference which will be held in South Australia from September 28 to October 2 this year. The conference will bring together Australian and international delegates with an interest in biological nitrogen (N) fixation. Co-hosted by the Australian Society for Nitrogen Fixation, the University of Adelaide and the SA Research and ...

Jul. 13, 2014

By Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)

Arcadia Biosciences, Inc., an agricultural technology company focused on developing technologies and products that benefit the environment and human health, and the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) today announced the planting of the first field trial of Nitrogen Use Efficient (NUE) rice in Africa. The NUE rice field trial is the result of more than five years of collaboration ...

Jun. 10, 2013

By Arcadia Biosciences, Inc.

The most important fertilizer for producing food is, at the same time, one of the most important risks for human health: nitrogen. Chemical compounds containing reactive nitrogen are major drivers of air and water pollution worldwide, and hence of diseases like asthma or cancer. If no action is taken, nitrogen pollution could rise by 20 percent by 2050 in a middle-of-the-road scenario, according ...

May 12, 2014

By The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)

Nitrogen fertilizer is usually applied in greater quantities to corn than almost any other crop. But when it’s applied in excess of requirements, loss of the excess fertilizer to the environment can contribute to degraded water quality. One of the challenges to making an appropriate nitrogen fertilizer recommendation is the potential variability in soil nitrogen availability that may occur ...

Jul. 22, 2009

By Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)

It was all too evident during the Dust Bowl what a disastrous impact wind can have on dry, unprotected topsoil. Now a new study has uncovered a less obvious, but still troubling, effect of wind: Not only can it carry away soil particles, but also the beneficial microbes that help build soil, detoxify contaminants, and recycle nutrients. Using a powerful DNA sequencing technique, called ...

May 8, 2012

By Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)

Scientists are exploring ways to reduce non-point pollution from agriculture. A new study finds that using straw residue in conjunction with legume cover crops reduces leaching of nitrogen into waterways, but may lower economic return. Agriculture is the largest source of nitrogen non-point pollution to waterways in the United States, flowing into streams and rivers via erosion from farmlands, or ...

May 23, 2010

By Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)

As consumer demand for year-round fresh produce increases, vegetable and fruit producers are facing significant environmental and sustainability issues, and are being challenged to examine traditional production practices in order to improve product quality while limiting environmental impact. A recent focus on both the positive and negative effects of nitrogen applications has researchers across ...

Jan. 29, 2014

By American Society for Horticultural Science

More fertilizer doesn't always mean more profit. That's one conclusion from a 10-year study conducted by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists at the agency’s Soil Plant Nutrient Research Unit in Fort Collins, Colo., and colleagues at Colorado State University. From 1998 to 2008, the researchers evaluated and compared potential management strategies for reducing nitrogen and nitrate ...

Feb. 18, 2009

By The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) - USDA

The EU’s Nitrates Directive has led to significant decreases in nitrogen pollution in Europe, a new study suggests. Modelled scenarios with and without implementation of the Directive showed that it had resulted in a 16% reduction of nitrate leaching by 2008. These improvements could be further increased as implementation becomes stricter, the researchers conclude. More nitrogen is applied ...

Mar. 11, 2014

By European Commission, Environment DG

With the summer cropping season on our doorstep, growers are weighing up their planting options against the market, seasonal conditions and gross margin calculations. For many the summer cropping rotation will include sorghum and maximising crop yield and profitability will be a key driver of all pre-plant and in-crop agronomic decisions. Recent research funded by the GRDC, Queensland Alliance ...

Nov. 26, 2013

By Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)

A surprising finding promises a cheap and environmentally friendly way of controlling locust swarms, a major plague that devastates crops around the world. Land erosion caused by heavy livestock grazing promotes ...

Jan. 26, 2012

By SciDev.Net

When fire burns down a forest, nitrate levels go up, and the effects are persistent, according to recent research from University of Montana scientists. They found that charcoal deposited during fire events has the potential to stimulate the conversion of ammonia to nitrates, an important step in the nitrogen cycle. Led by Patrick Ball, the research team found that a type of bacteria that ...

Aug. 8, 2010

By Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)

A more defined connection between compost, soil health, and water quality is vital for inclusion in predictive watershed modeling and consequently, nutrient management plans. ...

Dec. 31, 2018

By BioCycle Magazine

Ireland is facing a classic conflict, pitching economic growth targets against the need for action on climate change. On one hand, Ireland’s planners want to see significant growth in its food and agriculture industry – a sector that is one of the main pillars of the country’s economy, accounting for about 8% of gross domestic product. On the other hand, the country − ...

Jul. 23, 2016

By Climate News Network

The “Forum on Fertilizers and Nutrients for Growth” took place in the European Parliament on the 9 December 2014. The meeting was chaired by Julie Girling (ECR, UK) alongside Vice-chairs Peter Jahr (EPP, Germany) and Jan Huitema (ALDE, the Netherlands) who together managed and contributed to a lively debate. Pierre Bascou, Director, DG Agriculture and Rural Affairs and member of the ...

Dec. 9, 2014

By Fertilizers Europe

The biodiversity of crop fields could be key to a greener revolution in Africa, where ecosystems are degrading and crop yields are stagnating, says a study conducted in Malawi. African farmers could halve their fertiliser use and still get the same yields, the study found, with less year-to-year variation in yields and with as much as 70 per cent more protein in grains — by simply rotating ...

Dec. 13, 2010

By SciDev.Net

As concerns about air pollution from large dairies and other concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) continue to mount, scientists are reporting a practice that could cut emissions of an exceptionally abundant agricultural gas—ammonia—by up to 30%. In the May-June 2011 issue of the Journal of Environmental Quality, a team led by Mark Powell, a soil scientist with the USDA ...

May 10, 2011

By Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)