Mitigating Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Agriculture through Balanced Fertilization

Researchers at Northwest A&F University in Yangling, People's Republic of China, have conducted a comprehensive review of the interactive effects of inorganic nitrogen and organic fertilizers on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in agriculture. The study, published in the journal Plants, highlights the need for balanced fertilization practices to minimize emissions while maintaining agricultural productivity.

Key Takeaways:

• The use of nitrogen (N) and organic-source fertilizers in agriculture contributes significantly to GHG emissions, including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O).
• The study emphasizes the importance of understanding the mechanisms and contributions of organic fertilizers to GHG emissions, including straw, manure, and biochar.
• Researchers identified strategies for minimizing emissions, such as crop rotation, tillage, irrigation, organic fertilizers, and legume crops, but highlight the need for more thorough research on the combined application of N and organic fertilizers in multiple cropping systems.
• The review underscores the obstacles to accurate emission quantification due to differences in application practices and environmental conditions.
• The authors stress the need for developing region-specific mitigation strategies that effectively reduce emissions while maintaining agricultural productivity.
• Notable researchers involved in the study include Shahzad Haider, Jiajie Song, Jinze Bai, Xing Wang, Guangxin Ren, Yuxin Bai, Yuming Huang, Tahir Shah, and Yongzhong Feng.

Statistics:

• The study highlights the significance of nitrogen and organic fertilizers in agriculture, contributing to 14.5% of global GHG emissions.
• The use of inorganic nitrogen fertilizers leads to an average increase of 1.5-2.5% in CO2 emissions.
• The review suggests that the optimized application of nitrogen and organic fertilizers can reduce GHG emissions by 10-20% in some regions.
• The study emphasizes that crop rotation, tillage, and irrigation practices can reduce emissions by 15-30%.
• The research concludes that the long-term effect of organic fertilizers and the interactions between microbial communities in the soil and fertilization practices require further investigation.

Sources:

• Toward Low-Emission Agriculture: Synergistic Contribution of Inorganic Nitrogen and Organic Fertilizers to GHG Emissions and Strategies for Mitigation. Plants, 2025,14(10):1551 (MDPI AG).
• NewsRx LLC. Reports Outline Plant Research Study Findings from Northwest A&F University (Toward Low-Emission Agriculture: Synergistic Contribution of Inorganic Nitrogen and Organic Fertilizers to GHG Emissions and Strategies for Mitigation). Life Science Weekly. June 10, 2025; p 3972.