Possibilities for Reducing Nitrate Leaching from Agricultural Land
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10889474 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Holger Kirchmann (0000-0003-4779-412X, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, corresponding author), A E Johnny Johnston, Atholl Johnston (0000-0001-5787-2270, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, corresponding author), Lars Bergström (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, corresponding author), Lars F Bergström |
| Year | 2002 |
| Volume | 31 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 404-408 |
| Publication date | 2002-08-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | AMBIO (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0044-7447 • E-ISSN: 1654-7209 |
| Publisher | Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (PUBLISHER • SE) |
| DOI | 10.1579/0044-7447-31.5.404 |
| PMID | 12374048 |
| OpenAlex | W2178734514 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
Agricultural soil is a contributor of nitrate to natural waters. High nitrate levels in water leached from soils are related to high nitrate concentrations in drinking water, and excess levels change the ecological balance of rivers and lakes. In this paper, sound solutions to the major environmental issue of limiting nitrate leaching by modifying agricultural practices are discussed. The causes of nitrate leaching from agricultural land are briefly explained and existing measures for the reduction of nitrate losses are described, analyzed and evaluated. Reduction of nutrient leaching is not a question of organic or conventional farming, but rather of the introduction and use of appropriate countermeasures. We propose the following guiding principles to minimize leaching from agricultural soils. To some extent these principles require a new way of thinking: i) environmental indexing of fields and consideration of spatial variability within fields in relation to their contribution to leaching losses within a catchment; ii) reduction of nitrogen inputs to soil to levels slightly below those expected to give the optimum yield by applying less nitrogen fertilizer and by a further reduction in animal density; and iii) use of a range of counter-measures (catch crops, minimum tillage, control of biological processes, etc.) depending on how sensitive the farming system, soil and climate are to the risk of nitrate leaching
Agricultural land · Agriculture · Agronomy · Leaching (pedology · Lessivage · Nitrate · Soil water · Tillage · Ecology · Environmental Engineering · Environmental Science · Isotope Analysis in Ecology · Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics · Soil Science · Wastewater Treatment and Nitrogen Removal
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,14 |
| Citation span | 2005 - 2016 (12) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |