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Nitrogen fertilizer being applied to growing corn in a contoured, no-tilled field in Iowa.. Nutrient management is the science and practice directed to link soil, crop, weather, and hydrologic factors with cultural, irrigation, and soil and water conservation practices to achieve optimal nutrient use efficiency, crop yields, crop quality, and economic returns, while reducing off-site transport ...
Even though nitrogen is a necessary element for life, too much of it in water can have negative effects on aquatic ecosystems and endanger human health. Agricultural runoff, where fertilizers containing nitrogen compounds can seep into rivers, lakes, and groundwater, is one of the main sources of nitrogen in water.
Energy efficiency is the goal of efforts to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services. The general term "energy efficiency in agriculture" reflects changes in technology, government policies, weather patterns, and farming management practices. There is not a single measure to describe, ensure, and improve energy ...
Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is the proportion of nitrogen present that a plant absorbs and uses. Improving nitrogen use efficiency and thus fertilizer efficiency is important to make agriculture more sustainable, [ 20 ] by reducing pollution ( fertilizer runoff ) and production cost and increasing yield.
Human impact on the nitrogen cycle is diverse. Agricultural and industrial nitrogen (N) inputs to the environment currently exceed inputs from natural N fixation. [1] As a consequence of anthropogenic inputs, the global nitrogen cycle (Fig. 1) has been significantly altered over the past century.
Together with anaerobic condition, increases in soil water saturation can increase denitrification processes in the soil. Possible consequences are an increase in N 2 O emission, decreases in available nitrogen in soil and reduced efficiency of nitrogen usage by crops. [29] This may cause in an increase of fertilizer use. [9]
A February 2011 article in the magazine Science Illustrated states, "In commercial agriculture, CEA can increase efficiency, reduce pests and diseases, and save resources. ... Replicating a conventional farm with computers and LED lights is expensive but proves cost-efficient in the long run by producing up to 20 times as much high-end ...
Agricultural productivity is measured as the ratio of agricultural outputs to inputs. [1] While individual products are usually measured by weight, which is known as crop yield, varying products make measuring overall agricultural output difficult. Therefore, agricultural productivity is usually measured as the market value of the final output ...