Holm Tiessen GTZ, CIDA, IDRC College of Agriculture, U of - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Holm Tiessen GTZ, CIDA, IDRC College of Agriculture, U of Saskatchewan IAI nitrogen - the goal posts I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH

Nitrogen deficiency is not acceptable not in people not in crops wikimedia I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH

Nitrogen excess in the environment is not acceptable I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH

I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH

N utrition itrogen I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH

Humanity depends on N fertilizers 7,0 bi actual world population with Haber-Bosch N 3,5 bi without industrial N 1,7 bi 1900 1950 2000 Effect of the Haber-Bosch process on world population. Erisman, et al. Nat. Geosci. 2008, 1: 636-630. I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH

industrial N 2 fixation air is free but... I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH

120 Mt NH per year at >8 MWhr/t 3 represents 1% of world energy consumption this affects the price of N : N P & K 1992 2001 2006 I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH

the price of N is the price of energy and carbon I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH

emissions of CO 2 by landuse change and for every 10 C, 1 N is "lost or liberated" I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH

soil organic matter maintains agricultural production ecosystem service of compensation organic matter fertilize provide nutrients irrigate hold water avoid erosion protect surface mitigate CO 2 store carbon I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH

million km 2 Total Land Area of the Earth 133 Total Area Co-opted for Human Use 45 Pasture Area 25 Biofuels Area 5 - 8 Crop Area 17 I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH

Pastures "are easy" The high nitrogen content in food crops - is a contaminant in the prodution of biofuels - and has a high price in fertilizers Crop lands are more difficult I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH

I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH

It comes with issues of faith I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH

It comes with proven advantages I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH

source: Indian slide sharer I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH

What are organic manures? Farm yard manure Crop residues Green manure Biofertilizers Vermicompost (from the web) I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH

1% N in FMY 0.6% N cattle 1.2 % N chicken I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH

I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH

the yearly balance of N in the animal-crop cycle world cereal production: 2,530 Mt world cereal N content: 45 Mt world cattle production: 59 Mt world cattle manure N content: 7 Mt (manure N production 330g/day/t of beast) I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH

soil crop livestock people some other soil and water system I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH

soil crop (2,530 Mt with 45 Mt N) >45 Mt N @ 1% = 4,500 Mt livestock weight to people apply some other soil and water system I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH

organic manures: Farm yard manure Crop residues Green manure Biofertilizers Vermicompost I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH

Crop residue quantity and N content but where does this nitrogen come from ? I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH

Some Protein contents (protein=6.25xN) and typical (maximum) yields: Rice grain 8% of DM 5 t/ha (<20) Wheat grain 15 % of DM 3 t/ha (<15) Maize grain 10% of DM, 4 t/ha (<20) Soy grain 40% of DM 2 t/ha (<4) Lentil grain 30% of DM 1 t/ha (<4) Forage 20% of DM (below 10%, animal requirements are not met) Wood (forestry) 1% N of DM I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH

solutions of "sustainable management": rotations, N fixation, minimum till, cover crops I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH

I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH

conserve soils maintain soil organic matter maintain soils biologically active sacrifice cropping time or space to N management provide well-timed N provide resilient N (organic, sulfur-coated, others?) fix N recycle N add industrial N I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH

understand how N is embedded in biogeochemical cycles I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH

Melillo et al. 1993, Nature 363: 234-240; Felzer et al. 2004 Tellus , 56B, 230-248 I NTER- A MERICAN I NSTITUTE F OR G LOBAL C HANGE R ESEARCH