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Biogeochemistry

A plan for efficient use of nitrogen fertilizers

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A global analysis finds that nitrogen fertilizers could be used more efficiently if their international distribution across croplands was altered — a measure that would also decrease nitrogen pollution.

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Figure 1

EDWIN REMSBERG/GETTY

Figure 2: The effects of nitrogen-containing fertilizers on crop yields in different regions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Xin Zhang is at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Frostburg, Maryland 21532, USA.,

    Xin Zhang

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  1. Xin Zhang
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Correspondence to Xin Zhang.

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Zhang, X. A plan for efficient use of nitrogen fertilizers. Nature 543, 322–323 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/543322a

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