Agriculture, fertilizers and the environment /

Preface p. ix
Acknowledgements p. xi
Units and abbreviations p. xiii
Glossary p. xv
List of figures, tables and boxes p. xx
Figures p. xx
Tables p. xxii
Boxes p. xxiii
Introduction p. 1
Global food production and challenges p. 5
The basis for food production--plant nutrients p. 7
Food and plant nutrients p. 7
Plant nutrient demand p. 7
Balanced crop nutrition p. 11
Nutrient sources p. 13
Nutrients from soil reserves p. 13
Nutrients from organic manures p. 14
Biological nitrogen fixation p. 16
Aerial deposition p. 18
Mineral fertilizers p. 18
'Biofertilizers' and growth enhancers p. 24
The global challenge--to feed the people p. 25
Population growth and food availability p. 25
Population growth p. 25
Food supply p. 27
Food production in different regions p. 27
Food from the ocean p. 29
Future prospects p. 31
Sustainable food production--constraints and opportunities p. 31
General overview p. 31
Soil productivity and land availability p. 32
Forests and deforestation p. 38
Freshwater and irrigation p. 39
Fertilizer use and demand p. 43
Plant breeding p. 51
Crop losses p. 55
Agriculture without fertilizers and pesticides--organic agriculture p. 60
Weather and climate--the greenhouse effect, the ozone layer and agriculture p. 65
Policy and economy p. 68
Soil productivity, fertilizer use and the environment p. 77
Concerns related to fertilizer use p. 79
Introduction p. 79
Soil: the essential resource p. 87
Soil formation and development p. 87
Nutrients in soil p. 90
Soil organic matter p. 97
Fertilizers and soil life p. 100
Soil degradation p. 104
Soil erosion p. 105
Soil mining p. 108
Soil acidification p. 110
Other forms of degradation p. 111
Nitrogen p. 113
General overview p. 113
Nitrogen: chemistry and forms p. 114
Nitrogen fixation p. 117
Microbial conversions of fixed N p. 118
Human impacts on the nitrogen cycle p. 120
Nitrogen in soil--sources and utilization by plants p. 121
Nitrogen losses from agriculture p. 128
Atmospheric emission and deposition of ammonia and nitrogen oxides p. 139
Management practices to improve NUE and minimize losses p. 144
Nitrate and health p. 147
Phosphorus p. 150
General overview p. 150
Phosphorus in soil and availability to plants p. 150
Phosphate losses p. 156
Agricultural management to reduce losses p. 157
The remaining nutrients--potassium, sulphur, magnesium, calcium, micronutrients p. 157
Potassium p. 158
Sulphur p. 160
Calcium and magnesium p. 161
The micronutrients p. 163
Other elements in fertilizers p. 166
General overview p. 166
Cadmium p. 168
Radioactive elements p. 171
Other elements p. 173
Eutrophication of fresh and marine waters p. 174
General overview p. 174
Nutrient sources and transport p. 176
Eutrophication of fresh waters p. 179
Eutrophication of the marine environment p. 180
Food quality, environmental and sustainability aspects of fertilizer use in agriculture p. 183
Produce quality p. 183
General overview p. 183
Nutrient management and produce quality p. 184
Produce quality and human and animal health p. 189
Nutrients and plant diseases p. 191
General overview p. 191
Primary and secondary nutrients p. 192
Micronutrients p. 193
Other factors p. 194
Biodiversity in intensive agriculture p. 194
Energy use in agriculture p. 197
Farm work and energy p. 197
Use of non-renewable energy p. 199
Energy efficiency in agriculture p. 200
Fertilizer production--emissions and use of energy and resources p. 201
General overview p. 201
Mining activities p. 201
Energy and raw material use in fertilizer production p. 202
Emissions from production p. 204
Solid waste p. 206
Safety and occupational health p. 207
Non-renewable nutrient and energy resources p. 208
General overview p. 208
Mineral resources p. 209
Energy--fossil fuels p. 211
Life-cycle analysis for food production p. 213
Productivity and sustainability challenges p. 217
World cereal production--challenges and opportunities p. 219
Wheat p. 219
General overview p. 219
Yield and major constraints p. 221
Future challenges p. 223
Rice p. 224
General overview p. 224
Yield and major constraints p. 226
Sustainability and environmental problems p. 228
Future challenges p. 228
Maize p. 229
General overview p. 229
Maize in various climates p. 231
Yield and major constraints p. 231
Soil fertility and fertilizer use p. 232
Future challenges p. 233
Summary p. 233
Agricultural productivity in various regions--constraints and opportunities p. 235
North America--Canada and the USA p. 235
Latin America p. 238
Western Europe p. 243
Central Europe and the former Soviet Union p. 246
South and South-East Asia p. 249
Oceania--Australia and New Zealand p. 254
Africa p. 256
Summary and conclusions p. 263
References p. 267
Index p. 287