Can I read Use and Misuse of Nitrogen in Agriculture: The German Story on EtoBox?
Use and Misuse of Nitrogen in Agriculture: The German Story by Rienk R. van der Ploeg; Rienk P. Schweigert; Rienk J. Bachmann is a Agricultural and Biological Sciences article available to read on EtoBox.
What is Use and Misuse of Nitrogen in Agriculture: The German Story about?
Nitrogen (N) fertilization in agriculture has been discussed controversially in Germany for almost two centuries. The agronomist Carl Sprengel, who published his theory on the mineral nutrition of plants in 1828, advocated the use of mineral N fertilizers. Chemist Justus von Liebig, on the other hand, vehemently denied around 1850 the need for N fertilization. Although it soon became evident that Sprengel was right and Liebig was wrong, not much synthetic N fertilizer was used in German agriculture until around 1915, when the Haber-Bosch technique enabled the commercial production of NH~3~. The use of N fertilizers since then has grown, especially since 1950. To increase agricultural productivity, German governments have promoted, directly and indirectly, the use of N in crop and in animal production. Unfortunately, it was overlooked that N surpluses in agriculture increased rapidly; around 1980 they amounted yearly to more than 100 kg ha^-1^. The extensive use of N in agriculture is causing environmental damage and is contributing substantially to the external costs of present agriculture. The main N compounds that affect the environment are N~2~O, NH~3~, and NO~3~. These compound
Who reads Use and Misuse of Nitrogen in Agriculture: The German Story?
It is typically read by researchers, students, and practitioners in Agricultural and Biological Sciences.
- Author
- Rienk R. van der Ploeg; Rienk P. Schweigert; Rienk J. Bachmann
- Publisher
- Hindawi Limited
- Published
- 2001
- Language
- EN
- Field
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences (Physical Sciences)