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Cost-effective mitigation of nitrogen pollution from global croplands

Author

Listed:
  • Baojing Gu

    (Zhejiang University
    Zhejiang University)

  • Xiuming Zhang

    (The University of Melbourne)

  • Shu Kee Lam

    (The University of Melbourne)

  • Yingliang Yu

    (Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences)

  • Hans J. M. Grinsven

    (PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency)

  • Shaohui Zhang

    (Beihang University
    International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis)

  • Xiaoxi Wang

    (Zhejiang University
    Zhejiang University
    Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK))

  • Benjamin Leon Bodirsky

    (Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK))

  • Sitong Wang

    (Zhejiang University
    Zhejiang University)

  • Jiakun Duan

    (Zhejiang University
    Zhejiang University)

  • Chenchen Ren

    (Zhejiang University)

  • Lex Bouwman

    (PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency
    Utrecht University)

  • Wim Vries

    (Wageningen University & Research)

  • Jianming Xu

    (Zhejiang University
    Zhejiang University)

  • Mark A. Sutton

    (UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology)

  • Deli Chen

    (The University of Melbourne)

Abstract

Cropland is a main source of global nitrogen pollution1,2. Mitigating nitrogen pollution from global croplands is a grand challenge because of the nature of non-point-source pollution from millions of farms and the constraints to implementing pollution-reduction measures, such as lack of financial resources and limited nitrogen-management knowledge of farmers3. Here we synthesize 1,521 field observations worldwide and identify 11 key measures that can reduce nitrogen losses from croplands to air and water by 30–70%, while increasing crop yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) by 10–30% and 10–80%, respectively. Overall, adoption of this package of measures on global croplands would allow the production of 17 ± 3 Tg (1012 g) more crop nitrogen (20% increase) with 22 ± 4 Tg less nitrogen fertilizer used (21% reduction) and 26 ± 5 Tg less nitrogen pollution (32% reduction) to the environment for the considered base year of 2015. These changes could gain a global societal benefit of 476 ± 123 billion US dollars (USD) for food supply, human health, ecosystems and climate, with net mitigation costs of only 19 ± 5 billion USD, of which 15 ± 4 billion USD fertilizer saving offsets 44% of the gross mitigation cost. To mitigate nitrogen pollution from croplands in the future, innovative policies such as a nitrogen credit system (NCS) could be implemented to select, incentivize and, where necessary, subsidize the adoption of these measures.

Suggested Citation

  • Baojing Gu & Xiuming Zhang & Shu Kee Lam & Yingliang Yu & Hans J. M. Grinsven & Shaohui Zhang & Xiaoxi Wang & Benjamin Leon Bodirsky & Sitong Wang & Jiakun Duan & Chenchen Ren & Lex Bouwman & Wim Vrie, 2023. "Cost-effective mitigation of nitrogen pollution from global croplands," Nature, Nature, vol. 613(7942), pages 77-84, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:613:y:2023:i:7942:d:10.1038_s41586-022-05481-8
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05481-8
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Tengfei Yuan & Shaojian Huang & Peng Zhang & Zhengcheng Song & Jun Ge & Xin Miao & Yujuan Wang & Qiaotong Pang & Dong Peng & Peipei Wu & Junjiong Shao & Peipei Zhang & Yabo Wang & Hongyan Guo & Weidon, 2024. "Potential decoupling of CO2 and Hg uptake process by global vegetation in the 21st century," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    2. Hong, Cheng & Wang, Zhenchang & Wang, Yaosheng & Zong, Xingyu & Qiang, Xiaoman & Li, Qingxin & Shaghaleh, Hiba & Alhaj Hamoud, Yousef & Guo, Xiangping, 2024. "Response of duckweed to different irrigation modes under different fertilizer types and rice varieties: Unlocking the potential of duckweed (Lemna minor L.) in rice cultivation as "fertilizer cap," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 292(C).
    3. Zehui Liu & Harald E. Rieder & Christian Schmidt & Monika Mayer & Yixin Guo & Wilfried Winiwarter & Lin Zhang, 2023. "Optimal reactive nitrogen control pathways identified for cost-effective PM2.5 mitigation in Europe," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    4. Penghui Wang & Rui Ding & Wenjiao Shi & Jun Li, 2024. "Potential Reductions in the Environmental Impacts of Agricultural Production in Hubei Province, China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-17, March.
    5. Zhang Wen & Xin Ma & Wen Xu & Ruotong Si & Lei Liu & Mingrui Ma & Yuanhong Zhao & Aohan Tang & Yangyang Zhang & Kai Wang & Ying Zhang & Jianlin Shen & Lin Zhang & Yu Zhao & Fusuo Zhang & Keith Gouldin, 2024. "Combined short-term and long-term emission controls improve air quality sustainably in China," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    6. Hua, Keji & He, Jun & Liao, Bin & He, Tianzhong & Yang, Peng & Zhang, Lei, 2023. "Multi-objective decision-making for efficient utilization of water and fertilizer in paddy fields: A case study in Southern China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 289(C).
    7. Xiaolin Yang & Jinran Xiong & Taisheng Du & Xiaotang Ju & Yantai Gan & Sien Li & Longlong Xia & Yanjun Shen & Steven Pacenka & Tammo S. Steenhuis & Kadambot H. M. Siddique & Shaozhong Kang & Klaus But, 2024. "Diversifying crop rotation increases food production, reduces net greenhouse gas emissions and improves soil health," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-14, December.

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