A recent study highlights a path to significantly reduce ammonia pollution from rice, wheat, and corn cultivation through better fertilizer management.
Claire Asher reports for Mongabay.
In short:
- Researchers used machine learning to analyze global ammonia emissions from staple crops, finding a potential 38% reduction through optimized fertilizer use.
- The study emphasizes the importance of local climate and soil conditions in determining the most effective fertilizer management practices.
- Climate change could increase ammonia emissions by up to 15.8% by 2100, but this rise can be offset by adapting fertilizer management to local conditions.
Key quote:
“Using enhanced-efficiency fertilizers and applying fertilizer deep in the soil are the most effective mitigation measures, but they are not a one-size-fits-all solution.”
— Yi Zheng, researcher at China’s Southern University of Science and Technology and lead author of new study
Why this matters:
Ammonia pollution arises primarily from agricultural practices. Ammonia is released into the atmosphere from the use of synthetic fertilizers and the decomposition of animal wastes. Once airborne, ammonia can travel long distances before depositing on land or water surfaces, leading to a cascade of environmental impacts.
Air pollution from factory farms and growing feed crops kills an estimated 12,700 people in the U.S. a year.
