IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pbio00/1001124.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Fertilizing Nature: A Tragedy of Excess in the Commons

Author

Listed:
  • Allen G Good
  • Perrin H Beatty

Abstract

Why has nitrogen fertilizer use declined in some countries while increasing in others, despite significant environmental harm? Proper crop management strategies offer environmental and economic benefits without sacrificing yields. Globally, we are applying excessive nitrogen (N) fertilizers to our agricultural crops, which ultimately causes nitrogen pollution to our ecosphere. The atmosphere is polluted by N2O and NOx gases that directly and indirectly increase atmospheric warming and climate change. Nitrogen is also leached from agricultural lands as the water-soluble form NO3−, which increases nutrient overload in rivers, lakes, and oceans, causing “dead zones”, reducing property values and the diversity of aquatic life, and damaging our drinking water and aquatic-associated industries such as fishing and tourism. Why do some countries show reductions in fertilizer use while others show increasing use? What N fertilizer application reductions could occur, without compromising crop yields? And what are the economic and environmental benefits of using directed nutrient management strategies?

Suggested Citation

  • Allen G Good & Perrin H Beatty, 2011. "Fertilizing Nature: A Tragedy of Excess in the Commons," PLOS Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(8), pages 1-9, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pbio00:1001124
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001124
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.1001124
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.1001124&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pbio.1001124?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Neville Millar & G. Robertson & Peter Grace & Ron Gehl & John Hoben, 2010. "Erratum to: Nitrogen fertilizer management for nitrous oxide (N 2 O) mitigation in intensive corn (Maize) production: an emissions reduction protocol for US Midwest agriculture," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 15(4), pages 411-411, April.
    2. Neville Millar & G. Robertson & Peter Grace & Ron Gehl & John Hoben, 2010. "Nitrogen fertilizer management for nitrous oxide (N 2 O) mitigation in intensive corn (Maize) production: an emissions reduction protocol for US Midwest agriculture," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 185-204, February.
    3. Satya Yadav & Willis Peterson & K. Easter, 1997. "Do farmers overuse nitrogen fertilizer to the detriment of the environment?," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 9(3), pages 323-340, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Marco Medici & S?ren Marcus Pedersen & Giacomo Carli & Maria Rita Tagliaventi, 2019. "Environmental Benefits of Precision Agriculture Adoption," Economia agro-alimentare, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 21(3), pages 637-656.
    2. Wang, Wen, 2015. "Intégrer l'agriculture dans les politiques d'atténuation chinoises," Economics Thesis from University Paris Dauphine, Paris Dauphine University, number 123456789/14999 edited by Perthuis, Christian de.
    3. Simona Menardo & Giacomo Lanza & Werner Berg, 2021. "The Effect of Diet and Farm Management on N 2 O Emissions from Dairy Farms Estimated from Farm Data," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-19, July.
    4. Katarzyna Wolny-Koładka & Renata Jarosz & Michał Juda & Monika Mierzwa-Hersztek, 2022. "Distinct Changes in Abundance of Culturable Microbial Community and Respiration Activities in Response to Mineral–Organic Mixture Application in Contaminated Soil," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-16, November.
    5. Fazli Wahid & Shah Fahad & Subhan Danish & Muhammad Adnan & Zhen Yue & Shah Saud & Manzer H. Siddiqui & Martin Brtnicky & Tereza Hammerschmiedt & Rahul Datta, 2020. "Sustainable Management with Mycorrhizae and Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria for Enhanced Phosphorus Uptake in Calcareous Soils," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-14, August.
    6. Mar Carreras-Sempere & Rafaela Caceres & Marc Viñas & Carmen Biel, 2021. "Use of Recovered Struvite and Ammonium Nitrate in Fertigation in Tomato ( Lycopersicum esculentum ) Production for boosting Circular and Sustainable Horticulture," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-15, October.
    7. Jessica Rudnick & Mark Lubell & Sat Darshan S. Khalsa & Stephanie Tatge & Liza Wood & Molly Sears & Patrick H. Brown, 2021. "A farm systems approach to the adoption of sustainable nitrogen management practices in California," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 38(3), pages 783-801, September.
    8. Yanhua Xu & Yuzhen Yang & Si Wu & Dongcheng Liu & Yongzhe Ren, 2023. "QTL Mapping for Root Traits and Their Effects on Nutrient Uptake and Yield Performance in Common Wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, January.
    9. Minchong Shen & Jiangang Li & Yuanhua Dong & Zhengkun Zhang & Yu Zhao & Qiyun Li & Keke Dang & Junwei Peng & Hong Liu, 2021. "The Effects of Microbial Inoculants on Bacterial Communities of the Rhizosphere Soil of Maize," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-18, April.
    10. Luhao Jia & Mingya Wang & Shili Yang & Fan Zhang & Yidong Wang & Penghao Li & Wanqi Ma & Shaobo Sui & Tong Liu & Mingshi Wang, 2024. "Analysis of Agricultural Carbon Emissions and Carbon Sinks in the Yellow River Basin Based on LMDI and Tapio Decoupling Models," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-26, January.
    11. Clark, Robert & Dahlhaus, Peter & Robinson, Nathan & Larkins, Jo-ann & Morse-McNabb, Elizabeth, 2023. "Matching the model to the available data to predict wheat, barley, or canola yield: A review of recently published models and data," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 211(C).
    12. K. M. Atikur Rahman & Dunfu Zhang, 2018. "Effects of Fertilizer Broadcasting on the Excessive Use of Inorganic Fertilizers and Environmental Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-15, March.
    13. Lili Guo & Sihang Guo & Mengqian Tang & Mengying Su & Houjian Li, 2022. "Financial Support for Agriculture, Chemical Fertilizer Use, and Carbon Emissions from Agricultural Production in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-19, June.
    14. Argento, F. & Liebisch, F. & Anken, T. & Walter, A. & El Benni, N., 2022. "Investigating two solutions to balance revenues and N surplus in Swiss winter wheat," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 201(C).
    15. Salvatore Ceccarelli, 2014. "GM Crops, Organic Agriculture and Breeding for Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(7), pages 1-14, July.
    16. Baozhi Li & Ni Zhuo & Chen Ji & Qibiao Zhu, 2022. "Influence of Smartphone-Based Digital Extension Service on Farmers’ Sustainable Agricultural Technology Adoption in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-14, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Matthew Houser, 2022. "Does adopting a nitrogen best management practice reduce nitrogen fertilizer rates?," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 39(1), pages 79-94, March.
    2. Hardeep Singh & Brian K. Northup & Gurjinder S. Baath & Prashanth P. Gowda & Vijaya G. Kakani, 2020. "Greenhouse mitigation strategies for agronomic and grazing lands of the US Southern Great Plains," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 25(5), pages 819-853, May.
    3. Williamson, James M., 2010. "Does Information Matter? Assessing the Role of Information and Prices in the Nitrogen Fertilizer Management Decision," 2010 Annual Meeting, July 25-27, 2010, Denver, Colorado 60892, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    4. Williamson, James M., 2011. "The Role of Information and Prices in the Nitrogen Fertilizer Management Decision: New Evidence from the Agricultural Resource Management Survey," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 36(3), pages 1-21.
    5. Ning, Zhuo & Hou, Yuke & Xu, Xia, 2024. "Optimized strategies for nitrogen fertilizer application in Populus plantations in the context of climate change mitigation," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    6. Sunling, Yang & Shahzad, Ali & Wang, Meng & Xi, Yueling & Shaik, Mohammed Rafi & Khan, Mujeeb, 2024. "Urease and nitrification inhibitors with drip fertigation strategies to mitigate global warming potential and improve water-nitrogen efficiency of maize under semi-arid regions," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 295(C).
    7. Francisco Rosas & Bruce Babcock & Dermot Hayes, 2015. "Nitrous oxide emission reductions from cutting excessive nitrogen fertilizer applications," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 132(2), pages 353-367, September.
    8. Hardeep Singh & Brian K. Northup & Gurjinder S. Baath & Prashanth P. Gowda & Vijaya G. Kakani, 0. "Greenhouse mitigation strategies for agronomic and grazing lands of the US Southern Great Plains," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 25(5), pages 819-853.
    9. Gevan D. Behnke & Cameron M. Pittelkow & Emerson D. Nafziger & María B. Villamil, 2018. "Exploring the Relationships between Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Yields, and Soil Properties in Cropping Systems," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 8(5), pages 1-26, April.
    10. Rooholla Moradi & Alireza Koocheki & Mehdi Nassiri Mahallati, 2014. "Adaptation of maize to climate change impacts in Iran," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 19(8), pages 1223-1238, December.
    11. Khor, Ling & Zeller, Manfred, 2015. "Perception of Substandard Fertilizer and Its Impact on Use Intensity," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 211843, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    12. Ipe, Viju C. & DeVuyst, Eric A. & Braden, John B. & White, David C., 2001. "Simulation Of A Group Incentive Program For Farmer Adoption Of Best Management Practices," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association, vol. 30(2), pages 1-12, October.
    13. Aurore Philibert & Chantal Loyce & David Makowski, 2012. "Quantifying Uncertainties in N2O Emission Due to N Fertilizer Application in Cultivated Areas," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(11), pages 1-9, November.
    14. Gandorfer, Markus & Rajsic, Predrag, 2008. "Modeling Economic Optimum Nitrogen Rates for Winter Wheat When Inputs Affect Yield and Output-Price," Agricultural Economics Review, Greek Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 9(2).
    15. Luncheng You & Gerard H. Ros & Yongliang Chen & Qi Shao & Madaline D. Young & Fusuo Zhang & Wim de Vries, 2023. "Global mean nitrogen recovery efficiency in croplands can be enhanced by optimal nutrient, crop and soil management practices," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    16. Grace, Peter R. & Philip Robertson, G. & Millar, Neville & Colunga-Garcia, Manuel & Basso, Bruno & Gage, Stuart H. & Hoben, John, 2011. "The contribution of maize cropping in the Midwest USA to global warming: A regional estimate," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 104(3), pages 292-296, March.
    17. Yiridoe, Emmanuel K. & Amon-Armah, Frederick & Hebb, Dale & Jamieson, Rob, 2013. "Eco-efficiency of Alternative Cropping Systems Managed in an Agricultural Watershed," 2013 Annual Meeting, August 4-6, 2013, Washington, D.C. 150357, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    18. Amy W. Ando & Shibashis Mukherjee, 2012. "Benefits of pollution monitoring technology for greenhouse gas offset markets," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 32(1), pages 122-136.
    19. Beata Itin‐Shwartz, 2024. "Survey based assessment of sustainable agricultural practices: Evidence from Indian plots," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 40(2), pages 416-457, April.
    20. Metcalfe, Todd & Bosch, Darrell J. & Pease, James W. & Alley, Mark M. & Phillips, Steve B., 2007. "Yield Reserve Program Costs in the Virginia Coastal Plain," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association, vol. 36(2), pages 1-16, October.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pbio00:1001124. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosbiology (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.