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Nitrogen: Too Much of a Vital Resource
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Nitrogen: Too Much of a Vital Resource

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 April 2021) | Viewed by 13660

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jan Willem Erisman

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Guest Editor
Louis Bolk Institute - LBI, Driebergen, Netherlands
Interests: nitrogen; agriculture; effects; transition; sustainable energy; atmospheric deposition; circularity
Dr. Enrico Dammers

E-Mail
Guest Editor
TNO, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Interests: nitrogen; satellite; remote-sensing; atmospheric deposition; emission

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Reactive nitrogen is a vital resource for all organisms. Without it, biological functions would be impossible. Most organisms, however, do not have ready access to reactive nitrogen. Only a selective group of bacteria can fix nitrogen directly through the interaction with leguminous plants. Most of the other organisms are thus dependent on external sources. Humans have developed agriculture to increase food production, which enables us to feed the growing population. This required more nitrogen, which is provided by fertilizer and organic manure. However, the law of diminishing returns applies for fertilization and production. Losses increase more rapidly than the yield does. The non-agricultural part of the nitrogen cycle is the burning of fossil fuels, which contributes to the nitrogen budget through atmospheric emissions of nitrogen-oxides. The losses of reactive nitrogen to the biosphere contributes to a cascade of effects affecting air, soil, water, climate, biodiversity, and ecosystem quality and stratospheric ozone. In recent years, new techniques and models to determine the losses and its consequences have been developed, and this Special Issue brings together a wealth of new insights that help our scientific understanding and contribute to the assessment of the impacts, major processes, and potential measures to improve nitrogen sustainability.

Topics

  • Understanding the N-cycle at different scales and quantification of the cascade effect of nitrogen
  • Application of process understanding to improve biological nitrogen fixation, photosynthesis, nitrogen efficiencies in soil and in food production and (de)nitrification processes
  • The use of satellites to quantify nitrogen pollution and deposition
  • The influence of nitrogen on climate and carbon sequestration
  • The effect of the corona virus on N
  • The Dutch nitrogen case

Prof. Dr. Jan Willem Erisman
Dr. Enrico Dammers
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • satellites
  • deposition
  • cascade
  • cycling
  • processes
  • climate

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 1839 KiB  
Article
Assessment of Nitrogen Flows at Farm and Regional Level When Developing the Manure Management System for Large-Scale Livestock Enterprises in North-West Russia
by Aleksandr Briukhanov, Eduard Vasilev, Natalia Kozlova and Ekaterina Shalavina
Sustainability 2021, 13(12), 6614; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13126614 - 10 Jun 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1872
Abstract
Arranging efficient manure management is the major environmental challenge in livestock farming in the Leningrad Region, with manure nitrogen being regarded as the main pollution source. The study aimed to identify the baselines for taking integrated manure management decisions towards reducing nitrogen losses [...] Read more.
Arranging efficient manure management is the major environmental challenge in livestock farming in the Leningrad Region, with manure nitrogen being regarded as the main pollution source. The study aimed to identify the baselines for taking integrated manure management decisions towards reducing nitrogen losses applying nitrogen surplus and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) as indicators calculated at the regional and municipal district level. At the regional level, NUE was found to be 34% and N surplus was 103 kg ha−1. Eleven “environmentally friendly” districts had a mean NUE of 59%, a mean N surplus 39.6 kg ha−1 and a mean animal density 0.89 LSU ha−1. Four districts were identified as “hot spots”, with an animal density in the range from 2.6 to 67 LSU ha−1, NUE from 1 to 37% and N surplus from 87 to 3082 kg ha−1. A scenario was suggested for the redistribution of organic fertilisers between “hot spots” and “environmentally friendly” districts, allowing each district to increase the N surplus to the regional value. Nitrogen flows and measures improving NUE at the farm level through organisational activity and advanced practices were considered with the help of the “N input − N output” diagram and the example of the nitrogen flows on a pilot dairy farm. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nitrogen: Too Much of a Vital Resource)
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18 pages, 312 KiB  
Article
Contrasting Considerations among Agricultural Stakeholders in Japan on Sustainable Nitrogen Management
by Athanasios Ragkos, Kentaro Hayashi, João Serra, Hideaki Shibata, Efstratios Michalis, Sadao Eguchi, Azusa Oita and Claudia Marques-dos-Santos Cordovil
Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 4866; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13094866 - 26 Apr 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2253
Abstract
Sustainable nitrogen (N) management in agriculture is one of the most important issues affecting the environmental performance of modern agriculture. It is actually well perceived that coordinated efforts and holistic approaches are required to regulate N use by farmers. The purpose of this [...] Read more.
Sustainable nitrogen (N) management in agriculture is one of the most important issues affecting the environmental performance of modern agriculture. It is actually well perceived that coordinated efforts and holistic approaches are required to regulate N use by farmers. The purpose of this study was to provide an initial examination of stakeholders’ views in Japan regarding N use in agriculture and challenges to increase its sustainability. The analysis was based on a questionnaire study of five types of stakeholders (farmers, advisors, researchers, suppliers, policy makers). By means of multivariate analysis techniques it was revealed that consensus was lacking either in the acknowledgment of the causes and effects of unsustainable N management or in the challenges that need to be addressed. N losses from farms and the effects of N use were perceived but not conceived equally by all stakeholders. Organic farming and mandatory measures were the most controversial challenges, while those involving awareness, training and advisory were the most popular. This study cannot provide safe conclusions that can be generalized in the Japanese context, but it indicates domains where further research is required and orientations for future policy design towards more sustainable N use. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nitrogen: Too Much of a Vital Resource)
18 pages, 2927 KiB  
Article
A National Nitrogen Target for Germany
by Markus Geupel, Jürg Heldstab, Bettina Schäppi, Judith Reutimann, Martin Bach, Uwe Häußermann, Lukas Knoll, Laura Klement and Lutz Breuer
Sustainability 2021, 13(3), 1121; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13031121 - 21 Jan 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2972
Abstract
The anthropogenic nitrogen cycle is characterized by a high complexity. Different reactive nitrogen species (NH3, NH4+, NO, NO2, NO3−, and N2O) are set free by a large variety of anthropogenic activities [...] Read more.
The anthropogenic nitrogen cycle is characterized by a high complexity. Different reactive nitrogen species (NH3, NH4+, NO, NO2, NO3−, and N2O) are set free by a large variety of anthropogenic activities and cause numerous negative impacts on the environment. The complex nature of the nitrogen cycle hampers public awareness of the nitrogen problem. To overcome this issue and to enhance the sensitivity for policy action, we developed a new, impact-based integrated national target for nitrogen (INTN) for Germany. It is based on six impact indicators, for which we derived the maximum amount of nitrogen losses allowed in each environmental sector to reach related state indicators on a spatial average for Germany. The resulting target sets a limit of nitrogen emissions in Germany of 1053 Gg N yr−1. It could serve as a similar means on the national level as the planetary boundary for reactive nitrogen or the 1.5 °C target of the climate community on the global level. Taking related uncertainties into account, the resulting integrated nitrogen target of 1053 Gg N yr−1 suggests a comprehensible INTN of 1000 Gg N yr−1 for Germany. Compared to the current situation, the overall annual loss of reactive nitrogen in Germany would have to be reduced by approximately one-third. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nitrogen: Too Much of a Vital Resource)
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26 pages, 2270 KiB  
Article
Understanding N2O Emissions in African Ecosystems: Assessments from a Semi-Arid Savanna Grassland in Senegal and Sub-Tropical Agricultural Fields in Kenya
by Laurent Bigaignon, Claire Delon, Ousmane Ndiaye, Corinne Galy-Lacaux, Dominique Serça, Frédéric Guérin, Tiphaine Tallec, Lutz Merbold, Torbern Tagesson, Rasmus Fensholt, Sylvain André and Sylvain Galliau
Sustainability 2020, 12(21), 8875; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12218875 - 26 Oct 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2711
Abstract
This study is based on the analysis of field-measured nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from a Sahelian semi-arid grassland site in Senegal (Dahra), tropical humid agricultural plots in Kenya (Mbita region) and simulations using a 1D model designed for semi arid ecosystems [...] Read more.
This study is based on the analysis of field-measured nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from a Sahelian semi-arid grassland site in Senegal (Dahra), tropical humid agricultural plots in Kenya (Mbita region) and simulations using a 1D model designed for semi arid ecosystems in Dahra. This study aims at improving present knowledge and inventories of N2O emissions from the African continent. N2O emissions were larger at the agricultural sites in the Mbita region (range: 0.0 ± 0.0 to 42.1 ± 10.7 ngN m−2 s−1) than at the Dahra site (range: 0.3 ± 0 to 7.4 ± 6.5 ngN m−2 s−1). Soil water and nitrate (NO3−) contents appeared to be the most important drivers of N2O emissions in Dahra at the seasonal scale in both regions. The seasonal pattern of modelled N2O emissions is well represented, though the model performed better during the rainy season than between the rainy and dry seasons. This study highlighted that the water-filled pore space threshold recognised as a trigger for N2O emissions should be reconsidered for semi-arid ecosystems. Based on both measurements and simulated results, an annual N2O budget was estimated for African savanna/grassland and agricultural land ranging between 0.17–0.26 and 1.15–1.20 TgN per year, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nitrogen: Too Much of a Vital Resource)
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17 pages, 2263 KiB  
Article
Assessment of Nitrogen Uptake and Biological Nitrogen Fixation Responses of Soybean to Nitrogen Fertiliser with SPACSYS
by Lu Wu, Thomas H. Misselbrook, Liping Feng and Lianhai Wu
Sustainability 2020, 12(15), 5921; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12155921 - 23 Jul 2020
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2401
Abstract
Chemical fertiliser nitrogen addition will inhibit biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) for soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr) growth. The optimal balance of these two nitrogen input sources has been a key issue for sustainable development in Northeast China. We used the data [...] Read more.
Chemical fertiliser nitrogen addition will inhibit biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) for soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr) growth. The optimal balance of these two nitrogen input sources has been a key issue for sustainable development in Northeast China. We used the data collected from a four-year experiment with varied irrigation and fertiliser treatments from 2007 to 2010 to evaluate the SPACSYS (Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Continuum SYStem) model. The validated model was run to investigate the responses to different management practices in seed yield, BNF, protein yield and soil nitrogen budgets. Scenario testing showed average yield increase of 2.4–5.2% with additional 50–100 kg N/ha application. Irrigation at the reproductive stage improved seed yield in drier years with an increase of 12–33% compared with the rain-fed treatment. BNF was suppressed by fertiliser nitrogen application and drought stress with a decrease of 6–33% and 8–34%, respectively. The average nitrogen budget without fertilization indicated a deficit of 39 kg N/ha. To attain higher seed yield, applying fertiliser at 25–30 and 15–20 kg N/ha before sowing is advised in drier and wetter years, respectively. To achieve a higher seed nitrogen content, an application rate of 55–60 and 45–50 kg N/ha is recommended for drier and wetter years, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nitrogen: Too Much of a Vital Resource)
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