Acidification of European croplands by nitrogen fertilization: Consequences for carbonate losses, and soil health

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  • Ardakan University
  • Northwest Normal University
  • Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology
  • University of Göttingen
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Original languageEnglish
Article number171631
JournalScience of the Total Environment
Volume924
Early online date11 Mar 2024
Publication statusPublished - 10 May 2024

Abstract

Soil acidification is an ongoing problem in intensively cultivated croplands due to inefficient nitrogen (N) fertilization. We collected high-resolution data comprising 19,969 topsoil (0-20 cm) samples from the Land Use and Coverage Area frame Survey (LUCAS) of the European commission in 2009 to calculate the impact of N fertilization on buffering substances such as carbonates and base cations. We have only considered the impacts of mineral fertilizers from the total added N, and a N use efficiency of 60 %. Nitrogen fertilization adds annually 6.1 × 10 7 kmol H + to European croplands, leading to annual loss of 6.1 × 10 9 kg CaCO 3. Assuming similar acidification during the last 50 years, carbonates were completely removed from 3.4 × 10 6 ha of European croplands. In carbonate-free soils, annual loss of 2.1 × 10 7 kmol of basic cations will lead to strong acidification of at least 2.6 million ha of European croplands within the next 50 years. Inorganic carbon and basic cation losses at such rapid scale tremendously drop the nutrient status and production potential of croplands. Soil liming to ameliorate acidity increases pH only temporarily and with additional financial and environmental costs. Only the direct loss of soil carbonate stocks and compensation of carbonates-related CO 2 correspond to about 1.5 % of the proposed budget of the European commission for 2023. Thus, controlling and decreasing soil acidification is crucial to avoid degradation of agricultural soils, which can be done by adopting best management practices and increasing nutrient use efficiency. Regular screening or monitoring of carbonate and base cations contents, especially for soils, where the carbonate stocks are at critical levels are urgently necessary.

Keywords

    Carbon cycle, Food security, Global changes, Land management, Land-use sustainability

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Sustainable Development Goals

Cite this

Acidification of European croplands by nitrogen fertilization: Consequences for carbonate losses, and soil health. / Zamanian, Kazem; Taghizadeh-Mehrjardi, Ruhollah; Tao, Jingjing et al.
In: Science of the Total Environment, Vol. 924, 171631, 10.05.2024.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Zamanian K, Taghizadeh-Mehrjardi R, Tao J, Fan L, Raza S, Guggenberger G et al. Acidification of European croplands by nitrogen fertilization: Consequences for carbonate losses, and soil health. Science of the Total Environment. 2024 May 10;924:171631. Epub 2024 Mar 11. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171631
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title = "Acidification of European croplands by nitrogen fertilization: Consequences for carbonate losses, and soil health",
abstract = "Soil acidification is an ongoing problem in intensively cultivated croplands due to inefficient nitrogen (N) fertilization. We collected high-resolution data comprising 19,969 topsoil (0-20 cm) samples from the Land Use and Coverage Area frame Survey (LUCAS) of the European commission in 2009 to calculate the impact of N fertilization on buffering substances such as carbonates and base cations. We have only considered the impacts of mineral fertilizers from the total added N, and a N use efficiency of 60 %. Nitrogen fertilization adds annually 6.1 × 10 7 kmol H + to European croplands, leading to annual loss of 6.1 × 10 9 kg CaCO 3. Assuming similar acidification during the last 50 years, carbonates were completely removed from 3.4 × 10 6 ha of European croplands. In carbonate-free soils, annual loss of 2.1 × 10 7 kmol of basic cations will lead to strong acidification of at least 2.6 million ha of European croplands within the next 50 years. Inorganic carbon and basic cation losses at such rapid scale tremendously drop the nutrient status and production potential of croplands. Soil liming to ameliorate acidity increases pH only temporarily and with additional financial and environmental costs. Only the direct loss of soil carbonate stocks and compensation of carbonates-related CO 2 correspond to about 1.5 % of the proposed budget of the European commission for 2023. Thus, controlling and decreasing soil acidification is crucial to avoid degradation of agricultural soils, which can be done by adopting best management practices and increasing nutrient use efficiency. Regular screening or monitoring of carbonate and base cations contents, especially for soils, where the carbonate stocks are at critical levels are urgently necessary. ",
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note = "This work was supported by German Research Foundation [grant number: DFG, ZA 1068/4]; Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower-Saxony, Germany [grant number: 15-76251-2—Stay-8/22-5947/2022]; National Natural Science Foundation of China [42150410386] and RUDN University [Strategic Academic Leadership Program].",
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T2 - Consequences for carbonate losses, and soil health

AU - Zamanian, Kazem

AU - Taghizadeh-Mehrjardi, Ruhollah

AU - Tao, Jingjing

AU - Fan, Lichao

AU - Raza, Sajjad

AU - Guggenberger, Georg

AU - Kuzyakov, Yakov

N1 - This work was supported by German Research Foundation [grant number: DFG, ZA 1068/4]; Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower-Saxony, Germany [grant number: 15-76251-2—Stay-8/22-5947/2022]; National Natural Science Foundation of China [42150410386] and RUDN University [Strategic Academic Leadership Program].

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