The stocks and flows of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium across a 30-year time series for agriculture in Huantai county, China

Jessica Bellarby; Ben W J Surridge; Philip M Haygarth; Kun Liu; Giuseppina Siciliano; Laurence Smith; Clive Rahn; Fanqiao Meng

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.10.335

The stocks and flows of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium across a 30-year time series for agriculture in Huantai county, China

Sci Total Environ. 2018 Apr 1:619-620:606-620. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.10.335. Epub 2017 Nov 29.

Authors

Jessica Bellarby¹, Ben W J Surridge², Philip M Haygarth², Kun Liu³, Giuseppina Siciliano⁴, Laurence Smith⁴, Clive Rahn⁵, Fanqiao Meng⁶

Affiliations

¹ College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK.
² Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK.
³ College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
⁴ Centre for Development, Environment and Policy, SOAS University of London, London WC1H 0XG, UK.
⁵ School of Life Sciences, Warwick Crop Centre, The University of Warwick, Wellesbourne, Warwick CV35 9EF, UK.
⁶ College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China. Electronic address: mengfq@cau.edu.cn.

PMID: 29156279
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.10.335

Abstract

In order to improve the efficiency of nutrient use whilst also meeting projected changes in the demand for food within China, new nutrient management frameworks comprised of policy, practice and the means of delivering change are required. These frameworks should be underpinned by systemic analyses of the stocks and flows of nutrients within agricultural production. In this paper, a 30-year time series of the stocks and flows of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are reported for Huantai county, an exemplar area of intensive agricultural production in the North China Plain. Substance flow analyses were constructed for the major crop systems in the county across the period 1983-2014. On average across all production systems between 2010 and 2014, total annual nutrient inputs to agricultural land in Huantai county remained high at 18.1kt N, 2.7kt P and 7.8kt K (696kg N ha^-1; 104kgP ha^-1; 300kgK ha^-1). Whilst the application of inorganic fertiliser dominated these inputs, crop residues, atmospheric deposition and livestock manure represented significant, yet largely unrecognised, sources of nutrients, depending on the individual production system and the period of time. Whilst nutrient use efficiency (NUE) increased for N and P between 1983 and 2014, future improvements in NUE will require better alignment of nutrient inputs and crop demand. This is particularly true for high-value fruit and vegetable production, in which appropriate recognition of nutrient supply from sources such as manure and from soil reserves will be required to enhance NUE. Aligned with the structural organisation of the public agricultural extension service at county-scale in China, our analyses highlight key areas for the development of future agricultural policy and farm advice in order to rebalance the management of natural resources from a focus on production and growth towards the aims of efficiency and sustainability.

Keywords: Crop residue return; Farmer practice; Fertiliser recommendations; North China Plain; Nutrient management; Substance flow analyses.