Soil and Fertilizers: Managing the Environmental Footprint presents strategies to improve soil health by reducing the rate of fertilizer input while maintaining high agronomic yields. It is estimated that fertilizer use supported nearly half of global births in 2008. In a context of potential food insecurity exacerbated by population growth and climate change, the importance of fertilizers in sustaining the agronomic production is clear. However, excessive use of chemical fertilizers poses serious risks both to the environment and to human health. Highlighting a tenfold increase in global fertilizer consumption between 2002 and 2016, the book explains the effects on the quality of soil, water, air and biota from overuse of chemical fertilizers. Written by an interdisciplinary author team, this book presents methods for enhancing the efficiency of fertilizer use and outlines agricultural practices that can reduce the environmental footprint. Features: Includes a thorough literature review on the agronomic and environmental impact of fertilizer, from degradation of ecosystems to the eutrophication of drinking water Devotes specific chapters to enhancing the use efficiency and effectiveness of the fertilizers through improved formulations, time and mode of application, and the use of precision farming technology Reveals geographic variation in fertilizer consumption volume by presenting case studies for specific countries and regions, including India and Africa Discusses the pros and cons of organic vs. chemical fertilizers, innovative technologies including nuclear energy, and the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals Part of the Advances in Soil Sciences series, this solutions-focused volume will appeal to soil scientists, environmental scientists and agricultural engineers.

Much has been learned about the proper and judicious use of fertilizers. Fertilizer application by farmers has grown from an art to a science. As food producers have strived to increase crop yields by overcoming nutrient deficiencies the use of fertil izers has increased dramatically. This has created a large chemical industry capable of supplying the needed plant food elements. A more complete understanding of soil chemistry and plant nutrition has led to greater fertilizer use with improved fertilization methods and crop cultural practices. Improved fertilizer technology has led to the production of more efficient forms of fertilizer. The modem fertilizer industry and with it fertilization practices began in the humid countries of the world. The use of fertilizers in arid and semiarid regions was later in development, although agriculture had its beginning in semiarid and arid regions. The development offertilizer use is parallel to industrial development in various areas of the world.

Fertilizers in a changing world. Soil fertility - past and present. Growth and the factors affecting it. Elements required in plant nutrition. Basic soil-plant relationships. Soil and fertilizer: phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, calcium, and magnesium. Micronutrients and other beneficial elements in soils and fertilizers. Fertilizer manufacture. Soil acidity and liming. Soil fertility evaluation. Fundamentals of fertilizer application. Cropping systems and soil management. Ecomomics of plant-nutrient use. Fertilizers and efficient use of water. Interaction of plant nutrients in a high-yield agriculture.

This text provides the basic biological, chemical, & physical properties affecting soil fertility & plant nutrition. Particular attention is paid to minimizing the environmental impact of soil & fertilizers.

Introduction: Fertilizers in a changing world; Soil fertility: past and present; Growth and the factors affecting it; Elements required in plant nutrition; Basic soil-plant relationships; Soil and fertilizer nitrogen; Soil and fertilizer phosphorus; Soil and fertilizer potassium, magnesium, calcium and sodium; Sulfur and microelements in soils and fertilizers; Manufacture of nitrogen, phosphorius and potassium fertilizers; The manufacture and properties of mixed fertilizers; Liming; Soil fertility evaluation; Fundamentals of fertilizer application; Cropping systems and soil management; Economics and efficient use of water; Attacking soil fertility problems.

The soil - plant growth situation; Nitrogen - The keystone of protein; Sulfur - essential for protein; Phosphorus - the key to life; Multinutrient fertilizers; Potassium - the catalyst; Calcium, magnesium and finely ground limestone; Micronutrients - for healthy plant growth; Protein - organic wastes; The fertilizer situation in the United States, 1973-1985; Wetland soil fertility; Fertilizer basics - an autotutorial laboratory exercise.

The purpose of our present work is to review the fundamental studies on inhibition of soil urease activity and the applied studies on improving efficiency of urea fertilizers by inhibition of soil urease activity. The general literature on these topics covers 65 years, and the patent literature comprises a period of nearly 40 years. Studies related to inhibition of soil urease activity were performed in a great number of countries' well representing all the continents. Full texts of the papers describing these studies were published in one of 18 languages·'. The literature data reviewed are structured into 10 chapters, 81 subchapters, and 224 sections. The bibliographical list consists of 830 papers cited. ·In alphabetical order: Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Belorussia, Brazil. Bulgaria, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Cuba. Czech RepUblic, Egypt, Estonia, France, Georgia (Gruzia), Germany, Hungary, India, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy. Japan, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Malaysia, Moldova, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka. Sudan, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America. Uzbekistan .