Abstract
Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) has an assured place in agriculture, mainly as a source of nitrogen for legumes. Legumes are currently grown mostly as a source of vegetable oil and as food for humans and animals, but not as nitrogen source.
Other crops with BNF capability may be eventually be developed eventually. Such crops will also need mineral fertilizers to maintain a good status of soil nutrients, but their possible effects to the environment is also a concern. Fertilizers, however, will remain a necessary and sustainable input to agriculture to feed the present and increasing human population. It is not a case of whether BNF is better or worse than mineral fertilizers because both plays an important role in agriculture.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Addiscott T M, Whitmore A P and Powlson D S 1991 Farming, fertilizers and the nitrate problem. CAB International, Wallingford.
[BP] British Petroleum 1996 Statistical review of world energy. British Petroleum, London.
Btøckman, O C, Kaarstad O, Lie O H and Richards I 1990 Agriculture and Fertilizers. Norsk Hydro, Oslo.
De Data S K, Buresh R J, Samson M I, Obcemea W N and Real J G 1991 Direct measurement of ammonia and denitrification fluxes from urea applied to rice. Soil. Sci. Soc. Am. J. 55, 543–548.
ECETOC 1994 Ammonia emissions to air in Western Europe. Technical Report no. 62. European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals, Brussels.
Eichner M J 1990 Nitrous oxide emissions from fertilized soils: Summary of available data. J. Environ. Qual. 19, 272–280.
Granli T and BOckman O C 1994 Nitrous oxide from agriculture. Norw. J. Agric. Sci. Suppl. no 12.
Holtan-Hartvig L and BOckman O C 1994 Ammonia exchange between crops and air. Norw. J. Agric. Sci. Suppl. no 14.
Hornung M, Sutton M A and Wilson R B (Eds) 1995 Mapping and modelling of critical loads for nitrogen: a workshop report. Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Edinburgh.
IFA 1992 World Fertilizer use manual. International Fertilizer Industry Association, Paris.
LadhaJ K and Garrity (Eds) 1994 Green manure production systems for Asian ricelands. IRRI, Manila.
Ladha J K and Reddy P M 1995 Extension of nitrogen fixation to rice — necessity and possibilities. Geojournal 35, 363–372.
Peoples M B, Henidge D F and Ladha J K 1995 Biological nitrogen fixation: An efficient source of nitrogen for sustainable agricultural production. Plant Soil 174, 3–28.
Savant N K and Stangel P J 1990 Deep placement of urea super-granules in transplanted rice: principles and practices. Fert Res 25, 1–83.
SOderlund R and Rosswall T 1982 The nitrogen cycle. In Ed. O Hutzinger. The handbook of environmental chemistry. Vol I B. The natural environment and the biogeochemical cycles pp 6081. Springer Verlag, Berlin/Heidelberg.
US Bureau of Mines 1995 Mineral Commodity Summaries 1995. Phosphate Rock. Washington DC pp 124–125.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1997 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Bøckman, O.C. (1997). Fertilizers and biological nitrogen fixation as sources of plant nutrients: Perspectives for future agriculture. In: Ladha, J.K., de Bruijn, F.J., Malik, K.A. (eds) Opportunities for Biological Nitrogen Fixation in Rice and Other Non-Legumes. Developments in Plant and Soil Sciences, vol 75. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-7113-7_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-7113-7_2
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-0-7923-4748-4
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-7113-7
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive