Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Practices, perceptions, and implications of fertilizer use in East-Central China

  • Report
  • Published:
Ambio Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Face-to-face interviews (n = 553) were conducted in five counties in East-Central China to study farmers’ fertilizer application behaviors, decision-making processes, attitudes towards adopting better fertilizer application technologies, and environmental consciousness. The survey results revealed widespread fertilizer misapplication and highly variable application behaviors in the study regions. The lack of scientific knowledge on fertilizers and the absence of guidance from agricultural extension services have forced the farmers to rely on personal judgment and advice from fertilizer dealers and friends to make decisions in fertilizer application. Overall, farmers have been idiosyncratic in fertilizer application with limited adoption of better fertilizer application technologies. There are great potentials for reducing pollutant load from agricultural runoff through promoting scientific fertilizer application in the regions. However, farmers’ diverse preferences over agricultural extension programs necessitate an integrated approach emphasizing farmer involvement throughout the development of such programs for promoting better fertilizer application practices.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

References

  • Adrian, A.M., S.H. Norwood, and P.L. Mask. 2005. Producers’ perceptions and attitudes toward precision agriculture technologies. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 48: 256–271.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cui, Z.L., X.P. Chen, and F.S. Zhang. 2010. Current nitrogen management status and measures to improve the intensive wheat-maize system in China. AMBIO 39: 376–384.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dobermann, A., and K.G. Cassman. 2005. Cereal area and nitrogen use efficiency are drivers of future nitrogen fertilizer consumption. Science in China Series C 48: 745–758.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Glibert, P.M., J. Harrison, C. Heil, and S. Seitzinger. 2006. Escalating worldwide use of urea—A global change contributing to coastal eutrophication. Biogeochemistry 77: 441–463.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Han, H.Y., and L.G. Zhao. 2009. Farmers’ character and behavior of fertilizer application—Evidence from a survey of Xinxiang County, Henan Province, China. Agricultural Sciences in China 8: 1238–1245.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hite, D., D. Hudson, and W. Intarapapong. 2002. Willingness to pay for water quality improvements: The case of precision application technology. Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 27: 433–449.

    Google Scholar 

  • Howarth, R.W. 2008. Coastal nitrogen pollution: A review of sources and trends globally and regionally. Harmful Algae 8: 14–20.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huang, T.Y., W. Wu, and W.W. Li. 2013. Identifying the major pollution sources and pollution loading status of Qiputang River in Taihu Lake basin of China. Desalination and Water Treatment 51: 4736–4743.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ju, X., X. Liu, F. Zhang, and M. Roelcke. 2004. Nitrogen fertilization, soil nitrate accumulation, and policy recommendations in several agricultural regions of China. AMBIO 33: 300–305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ladha, J.K., H. Pathak, T.J. Krupnik, J. Six, and C. van Kessel. 2005. Efficiency of fertilizer nitrogen in cereal production: Retrospects and prospects. Advances in Agronomy 87: 85–156.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ma, L., F. Wang, W. Zhang, W. Ma, G. Velthof, W. Qin, O. Oenema, and F. Zhang. 2013. Environmental assessment of management options for nutrient flows in the food chain in China. Environmental Science and Technology 47: 7260–7268.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ongley, E.D., X. Zhang, and T. Yu. 2010. Current status of agricultural and rural non-point source pollution assessment in China. Environmental Pollution 158: 1159–1168.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Peng, S., R.J. Buresh, J. Huang, J. Yang, Y. Zou, X. Zhong, G. Wang, and F. Zhang. 2006. Strategies for overcoming low agronomic nitrogen use efficiency in irrigated rice systems in China. Field Crops Research 96: 37–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qin, H. 2010. Rural-to-urban labor migration, household livelihoods, and the rural environment in Chongqing Municipality, Southwest China. Human Ecology 38: 675–690.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun, B., L.X. Zhang, L.Z. Yang, F.S. Zhang, D. Norse, and Z.L. Zhu. 2012. Agricultural non-point source pollution in China: Causes and mitigation measures. AMBIO 41: 370–379.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tey, Y.S., and M. Brindal. 2012. Factors influencing the adoption of precision agricultural technologies: A review for policy implications. Precision Agriculture 13: 713–730.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turner, R.E., and N.N. Rabalais. 2003. Linking landscape and water quality in the Mississippi river basin for 200 years. BioScience 53: 563–572.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu, Y., and J. Chen. 2013. Investigating the effects of point source and nonpoint source pollution on the water quality of the East River (Dongjiang) in South China. Ecological Indicators 32: 294–304.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xie, Y., J. Yang, S. Du, J. Zhao, Y. Li, and E. Huffman. 2012. A GIS-based fertilizer decision support system for farmers in Northeast China: A case study at Tong-le village. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 93: 323–336.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xiong, Z., J. Freney, A. Mosier, Z. Zhu, Y. Lee, and K. Yagi. 2008. Impacts of population growth, changing food preferences and agricultural practices on the nitrogen cycle in East Asia. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 80: 189–198.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yan, Z., P. Liu, Y. Li, L. Ma, A. Alva, Z. Dou, Q. Chen, and F. Zhang. 2013. Phosphorus in China’s intensive vegetable production systems: Overfertilization, soil enrichment, and environmental implications. Journal of Environmental Quality 42: 982–989.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang, X., and W. Jin. 2010. GIS-based spatial regression and prediction of water quality in river networks: A case study in Iowa. Journal of Environmental Management 91: 1943–1951.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang, X., S. Fang, C.L. Lant, X. Luo, and Z. Zheng. 2012. Overfertilization in the economically developed and ecologically critical Lake Tai region, China. Human Ecology 40: 957–964.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zbinden, S., and D.R. Lee. 2005. Paying for environmental services: An analysis of participation in Costa Rica’s PSA program. World Development 33: 255–272.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, Y., S. Luan, L. Chen, and M. Shao. 2011. Estimating the volatilization of ammonia from synthetic nitrogenous fertilizers used in China. Journal of Environmental Management 92: 480–493.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu, Z.L., and D.L. Chen. 2002. Nitrogen fertilizer use in China—Contributions to food production, impacts on the environment and best management strategies. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 63: 117–127.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by Chinese Natural Science Foundation (41201191), Chinese Ministry of Education New Faculty Fund (20120071120034), Fudan University Tyndall Center Project (FTC98503B04), and Fudan University Young Faculty Improvement Fund (20520133208).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China

    Xiaoying Yang

  2. College of Fisheries and Life Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China

    Shubo Fang

Authors
  1. Xiaoying Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Shubo Fang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Xiaoying Yang or Shubo Fang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yang, X., Fang, S. Practices, perceptions, and implications of fertilizer use in East-Central China. Ambio 44, 647–652 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-015-0639-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-015-0639-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation