STUDY ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE, NITROGEN & FOOD SECURITY

Abstract

A major global concern for natural resources has become modern agriculture. The burden on soil and water supplies steadily increase population growth and increased demand for agricultural produce. A large number of intensely controlled agriculture systems with high external inputs have a very low resource efficience, especially in nitrogen.A high input and low productivity eventually result in environmental problems, such as soil degradation, eutrophication, contamination of groundwater and ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions.Of course, the shift of existing farm systems into highly resource-efficient, yet environmentally friendly and socially acceptable systems is necessary. Opportunities to improve the efficiency of nitrogen use in crop and agricultural systems are analysed and discussed in this context. The emphasis should be on greater production with less fertiliser N in high-input systems to improve the efficiency of resource use. In low-input systems, further use of N fertiliser may be necessary to increase yield stability. Research at different levels, ranging from single crops to different agricultural systems, is necessary for the development of sustainable agricultural production systems.The Nitrogen supply must be in line with Nitrogen demand not only for individual crops, but as an integrated system for the rotation of crops in order to achieve a higher agricultural productivity N use.To build more environment-friendly agriculture systems, it will be necessary to combine quantitative system analysis, best practices and legislation. Cross-disciplinary research is essential due to the increasing complexity of N management in sustainable agricultural systems.