Nutrient use and loss in agriculture along a development trajectory

Background/Question/Methods Nutrient inputs via synthetic fertilizers, manure, and nitrogen-fixing cover crops are essential for high agricultural yields, but losses of these same nutrients diminish environmental quality and human wellbeing. This talk will explore the use and loss of nutrients along a development trajectory from the low-input, low-productivity agricultural systems of many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa where rural poverty persists, to the high-input and high-productivity systems of the North China Plain where surplus grain is produced with excess nutrients.

Results/Conclusions Nutrient budget and farm survey data from these and other regions, including the Yaqui Valley of northern Mexico (home of the Green Revolution for wheat) and the US Corn Belt, will be presented to show how agricultural development influences nutrient use and biogeochemical cycles. The talk will conclude with a discussion on how nutrients can be best managed at different stages of development for future food, income, and environmental needs.