Files and links (1)
CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Assessing the benefits and wider costs of different N fertilisers for grassland agriculture
Archiv für Acker- und Pflanzenbau und Bodenkunde, Vol.65(5), pp.625-639
2019
Abstract
Fertiliser nitrogen (N) is essential for maintaining agronomic outputs for our growing population. However, the societal, economic and environmental impacts of excess reactive N from fertiliser is rarely assessed. Here the agronomic, economic and environmental efficacy of three N-fertiliser sources, ammonium-nitrate (AN), urea (U), and inhibited-urea (IU; with NPBT) were evaluated at two grassland sites. Dry matter yield and herbage quality were measured at each silage-cut. Additionally, NH3-N and N2O-N losses were measured and used to calculate the effective N source cost and externality costs, which account for associated environmental and societal impacts. We found no effect of different N sources on yield or herbage quality. However, NH3-N emissions were significantly reduced under the IU treatment, by 48-65%. No significant differences in cumulative N2O emissions were observed. Incorporating externality costs increased fertiliser prices by 1.23-2.36, 6.51-16.4, and 3.17-4.17 times the original cost, for AN, U and IU, respectively, transforming U from the cheapest, to the most expensive of the N sources examined. However, with no apparent yield differences between N-fertiliser sources there is no economic incentive for the land-manager to use the more environmentally and socially acceptable option, unless externality costs are incorporated into fertiliser prices at the point of sale.
Details
- Title
- Assessing the benefits and wider costs of different N fertilisers for grassland agriculture
- Authors/Creators
- Alison Carswell - Rothamsted ResearchRory Shaw - Bangor UniversityJohn Hunt - Rothamsted ResearchAntonio Rafael Sanchez-Rodriguez - Bangor UniversityKaren Saunders - Rothamsted ResearchJoseph Cotton - Bangor UniversityPaul W. Hill - Bangor UniversityDave R. Chadwick - Bangor UniversityDavey L. Jones - Bangor UniversityTom H. Misselbrook - Rothamsted Research
- Publication Details
- Archiv für Acker- und Pflanzenbau und Bodenkunde, Vol.65(5), pp.625-639
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- Number of pages
- 15
- Grant note
- BB/N013201/1; BB/N013468/1 / Newton Fund via the UK research council NERC BB/N013204/1 / BBSRC; UK Research & Innovation (UKRI); Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) BB/N013201/1; BB/N013468/1 / Newton Fund via the UK research council BBSRC; UK Research & Innovation (UKRI); Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) 2015/50305-8 / Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo; Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP) 2015-10267001479 / Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Goias RCUK-02771/16 / Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa e ao Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico do Maranhao; Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Cientifico do Maranhao (FAPEMA)
- Identifiers
- 991005560318107891
- Copyright
- © 2018 The Author(s).
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Centre for Sustainable Farming Systems
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
Metrics
1 File views/ downloads
36 Record Views
InCites Highlights
These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Citation topics
- 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology
- 3.45 Soil Science
- 3.45.397 Nitrogen Management
- Web Of Science research areas
- Agronomy
- Soil Science
- ESI research areas
- Agricultural Sciences