The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) welcomes – to a point – a new study by 16 U.S. scientists that calls nitrogen both an essential nutrient and a pollutant, cautioning that it doesn’t fairly characterize its use by the nation’s farmers. The study’s lead author, Eric Davidson, a soil ecologist and executive director of the Woods Hole Research Center, explains that "Excess Nitrogen in the U.S. Environment: Trends, Risks, and Solutions," is about how much we do know, not about what we don’t know. “We know about nitrogen cycles, and sources, and we know problems can be addressed in economically viable ways," Davidson commented.
Another author, James Galloway, a bio-geochemist at the University of Virginia, cited gains in reducing nitrogen pollution with the engineering and the regulatory tools, but "on the food side, that’s where it gets interesting. How can you still produce the food the society demands, needs, yet use less nitrogen to produce it?"
The report tabulates strategies to help farmers maximize efficient use of fertilizer rather than just maximize crop yield, including buffer strips and wetlands, manure management, and ideal patterns of fertilizer application. It also considers the cost of implementing them, as well as programs for buffering farmers against losses in bad years.
Responding from information supplied to the press, TFI said it was pleased with the study’s recognition of fertilizer’s critical role in food production. “But we are disappointed with the press release’s characterization of farmers’ over-use of fertilizer. Today’s farmers are using fertilizer with the greatest efficiency in history. In fact, farmers in the United States are using 4 percent fewer nutrients to grow 87 percent more corn than they did in 1980. Further, the fertilizer industry promotes the spread of expertise and technology that makes this efficiency possible here to farmers around the world through its support of the International Plant Nutrition Institute. Additionally, while the statement recognizes use of 3 of the 4R’s of nutrient stewardship (source, rate, and place), it fails to mention the fourth R of timing.” To be effective, TFI said, all 4 “R’s” must be used in concert.
Finally, TFI said the statement mentions nitrogen from transportation as another problematic area, saying said it must be noted that from a fertilizer-centric aspect, urea plays an integral role in pollution abatement systems used in certain classes of diesel fuel vehicles. “We know that the use of this technology will continue to demand increasing amounts of urea as additional classes of vehicles are required to have this technology in place,” TFI concluded.