Nitrate accumulation in an intensive small agricultural catchment

  • The long term application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer has changed the
    global N biogeochemical cycle. Understanding the fate of N
    fertilizer in soil and plant system (crop uptake, residual in soil, and loss) is important to increase N use efficiency and decrease its loss.
    Nitrification is very fast in upland soil. Therefore, the accumulation
    of nitrate in soil profile is one of important fate of N fertilizer after
    application.

 

  • China has consumed about one thirds of the global N
    fertiliser now. Fruits and vegetables together in China have
    consumed at least 30% of N fertilizers. However, there are limited
    researches to study nitrate accumulation in soil profiles both at field and catchment scales, to evaluate their potential risk to the
    groundwater quality.