Estimating soil nitrate leaching of nitrogen fertilizer from global meta-analysis.

Global estimates of soil nitrate leaching of applied nitrogen (N) in agricultural production systems are not imprecise; however, the results of some field experiments have suggested that nitrate leaching responds exponentially rather than linearly to increasing N inputs. In this study, we compiled field data on nitrate leaching for 324 site-year combinations extracted from 86 peer-reviewed articles to test the hypothesis that in response to N fertilizer addition, soil nitrate leaching emission factors (EF) do not remain constant, but rather increase rapidly with increasing rates of N application. The averaged overall results showed that the proportional change in the EF response to increasing N input (ΔEF, %) was 0.042. Because this value was positive and significantly different from zero, our results demonstrate that EF is not constant, but rather increases with N addition. We compared our ΔEF response pattern with other constant EF patterns, and found that the 30% EF estimate of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the 19% EF used in another published model were too high. A global estimate of soil nitrate leaching in arable uplands calculated with our ΔEF pattern was substantially lower than other estimates calculated with other procedures. In conclusion, our ΔEF pattern provided a globally applicable procedure for more accurate estimation of leaching loss and potential environmental costs incurred by various N application gradients.

• Publication year

  2019

• Venue

  Science of the Total Environment

• Publication date

  2019-03-20

• Fields of study

  Agricultural and Food Sciences, Medicine, Environmental Science

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.12.029PMID 30537582
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• Responses of nitrification and ammonia oxidizers to a range of background and adjusted pH in purple soils

  2019cited by this paper
• Contrasting impacts of long-term application of manure and crop straw on residual nitrate-N along the soil profile in the North China Plain.

  2019cited by this paper
• Accumulation and leaching of nitrate in soils in wheat-maize production in China

  2019cited by this paper
• Combined controlled-released nitrogen fertilizers and deep placement effects of N leaching, rice yield and N recovery in machine-transplanted rice

  2018cited by this paper
• Nitrate leaching from open-field and greenhouse vegetable systems in China: a meta-analysis

  2018cited by this paper
• Pursuing sustainable productivity with millions of smallholder farmers

  2018cited by this paper
• Controlled-release urea reduced nitrogen leaching and improved nitrogen use efficiency and yield of direct-seeded rice.

  2018cited by this paper
• Can knowledge‐based N management produce more staple grain with lower greenhouse gas emission and reactive nitrogen pollution? A meta‐analysis

  2017cited by this paper
• Nonlinear response of soil ammonia emissions to fertilizer nitrogen

  2017cited by this paper
• Managing nitrogen for sustainable wheat production

  2017cited by this paper
• Fertilizer management and environmental factors drive N2O and NO3 losses in corn: A meta-analysis

  2017cited by this paper
• Hotspots of nitrous oxide emission in fertilized and unfertilized perennial grasses

  2017cited by this paper
• Reducing nitrogen leaching in a subtropical vegetable system

  2017cited by this paper
• Evidence for a Historic Change Occurring in China.

  2016cited by this paper
• Nitrogen fertilization challenges the climate benefit of cellulosic biofuels

  2016cited by this paper
• Identification of nitrate leaching loss indicators through regression methods based on a meta-analysis of lysimeter studies

  2016cited by this paper
• Managing nitrogen for sustainable development

  2015cited by this paper
• Closing the N-use efficiency gap to achieve food and environmental security.

  2014cited by this paper
• Producing more grain with lower environmental costs

  2014cited by this paper
• Global metaanalysis of the nonlinear response of soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions to fertilizer nitrogen

  2014cited by this paper
• Assessment of nitrate leaching loss on a yield-scaled basis from maize and wheat cropping systems

  2014cited by this paper
• Effect of nitrogen fertilization on nitrate leaching in relation to grain yield response on loamy sand in Sweden

  2014cited by this paper
• Meta-analysis of strategies to control nitrate leaching in irrigated agricultural systems and their effects on crop yield.

  2013cited by this paper
• Long-term fate of nitrate fertilizer in agricultural soils

  2013cited by this paper
• Nitrogen and phosphorus use efficiencies and losses in the food chain in China at regional scales in 1980 and 2005.

  2012cited by this paper
• Leaching of nitrate and phosphorus after autumn and spring application of separated solid animal manures to winter wheat

  2012cited by this paper
• Responses of Agronomic Benefit and Soil Quality to Better Management of Nitrogen Fertilizer Application in Greenhouse Vegetable Land

  2012cited by this paper
• Nitrate leaching, direct and indirect nitrous oxide fluxes from sloping cropland in the purple soil area, southwestern China.

  2012cited by this paper
• Nitrate leaching under maize cropping systems in Po Valley (Italy)

  2012cited by this paper
• Atmospheric reactive nitrogen in China: sources, recent trends, and damage costs.

  2012cited by this paper
• Nonlinear nitrous oxide (N2O) response to nitrogen fertilizer in on‐farm corn crops of the US Midwest

  2011cited by this paper
• Influence of N fertilization rates, rainfall, and temperature on nitrate leaching from a rainfed winter wheat field in Taihu watershed

  2011cited by this paper
• Global food demand and the sustainable intensification of agriculture

  2011cited by this paper
• Greenhouse gas mitigation by agricultural intensification

  2010cited by this paper
• Nitrogen in Agriculture: Balancing the Cost of an Essential Resource

  2009cited by this paper
• Nutrient Imbalances in Agricultural Development

  2009cited by this paper
• Nitrogen fate and environmental consequence in paddy soil under rice-wheat rotation in the Taihu lake region, China

  2009cited by this paper
• Effects of Slow‐Release Fertilizers on Tomato Growth and Nitrogen Leaching

  2009cited by this paper
• Reducing environmental risk by improving N management in intensive Chinese agricultural systems

  2009cited by this paper
• Nitrate attenuation in groundwater: a review of biogeochemical controlling processes.

  2008cited by this paper
• Nitrate leaching in temperate agroecosystems: sources, factors and mitigating strategies

  2004cited by this paper
• Nitrogen Cycles: Past, Present, and Future

  2004cited by this paper
• Nitrogen fertilizer use in China – Contributions to food production, impacts on the environment and best management strategies

  2002cited by this paper
• Nitrification in acid soils: micro-organisms and mechanisms

  2001cited by this paper
• A modelling approach to global nitrate leaching caused by anthropogenic fertilisation.

  2001cited by this paper
• Nitrate leaching from the Broadbalk Wheat Experiment, Rothamsted, UK, as influenced by fertilizer and manure inputs and the weather

  2000cited by this paper
• Effect of nitrogen inputs to cereals on nitrate leaching from sandy soils

  1998cited by this paper
• N2O from animal waste. Methodology according to IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories.

  1997cited by this paper
• Regional nitrogen budgets and riverine N & P fluxes for the drainages to the North Atlantic Ocean: Natural and human influences

  1996cited by this paper

• Mineral-associated organic nitrogen pool size, composition, and accessibility mediated by agricultural management and soil geochemical characteristics

  2026cites this paper
• Impact of a Nitrification Inhibitor on Nitrogen Losses in Contrasting Soils and Water Regimes

  2026cites this paper
• In-season effects of winter cover crops and tillage on soil NO3- and N leaching – Analysis with generalized additive models

  2026cites this paper
• Leached Nitrate Reduces the Abundance of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Deep Soil Layers up to 10 m.

  2026cites this paper
• Deep percolation paradox: How cropland cropping reactivates nitrate transport in thick vadose zones of converted orchards

  2026cites this paper
• Disentangling yield level and yield stability when comparing multifaceted agricultural production systems

  2026cites this paper
• Subsurface fertilization geometry synergies enhanced grain yield, nitrogen use efficiency and reduced greenhouse gas emissions: A global meta-analysis

  2026cites this paper
• Modeling the effects of rainfall intensity on nitrogen leaching in a karst agroecosystem: a comparative study of paddy fields and orchards using HYDRUS-1D.

  2026cites this paper
• Nitrogen fertilizer placement and its influence on snap bean production in North Florida

  2025cites this paper
• Trade of crop products contribute to the alleviation of global nitrate leaching risks

  2025cites this paper
• High-frequency sampling reveals storm responses to nitrate hysteresis patterns and export characteristics in an agricultural catchment

  2025cites this paper
• Harnessing biochar for nitrate removal from contaminated soil and water environments: Economic implications, practical feasibility, and future perspectives

  2025cites this paper
• De Novo Genome Assembly and Characterization of Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria isolated from field grown Canola Plants

  2025cites this paper
• The Effect of Organic Fertilizer Substitution on Nitrogen Leaching in Chinese Vegetable Fields: A Meta-analysis

  2025cites this paper
• Assessment and Simulation of Soil Water and Nitrogen Fate Under Different Drip Fertilization Scheduling Methods for Corn in North China

  2025cites this paper
• Evaluating the effects of industrial hemp cultivation on soil quality in Florida

  2025cites this paper
• Influence of Vegetative Growth and Head Traits on the Hollow Stem Formation in Broccoli Affected by Cultivation Factors

  2025cites this paper
• Preliminary Findings on Comparative Study of Nitrogen Content In Groundwater of Agricultural Area Versus Non-Agricultural Areas In L. Gan Maldives

  2025cites this paper
• Scenario based modelling approach to inform the spatial refinement of nitrogen management strategies for improving nitrogen use efficiency in Irish grasslands.

  2025cites this paper
• Integrating Winter Cover Crops Did Not Change Cotton Lint Yield Responses to Nitrogen Fertilization in Sandy Soils

  2025cites this paper
• Adaptive Strategies for Reducing Yield‐Scaled Nitrate Leaching in the US Midwest

  2025cites this paper
• Simulating vertical soil nitrate migration induced by freeze–thaw cycles

  2025cites this paper
• Changes in land-leaching nitrogen and its linkages to lake algal blooms in China

  2025cites this paper
• Effects of coating agents on nitrogen dynamics and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under irrigated and rainfed conditions

  2025cites this paper
• Preface: Illuminating soil's hidden dimensions, a decade of progress and future directions in agrogeophysics research

  2025cites this paper
• Nitrogen Balance in Coffee-Based Agroforestry System: An Impact of Fertilization Management

  2025cites this paper
• Interaction of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium Fertilisation and Precipitation on the Nitrogen Use Efficiency of Rainfed Grass

  2025cites this paper
• Alteration in nitrogen cycle and its contribution to climate change: a review

  2025cites this paper
• Optimizing nitrogen input in orchard systems to balance agronomic productivity and environmental protection

  2025cites this paper
• Appraising groundwater/surface water quality and health risk assessment from nitrate contamination in the urban city of Bafoussam, Cameroon, Central Africa

  2025cites this paper
• Influence of Nitrogen Addition on the Physicochemical Properties and Microbial Diversity of Spring Wheat Soil in the Loess Plateau

  2025cites this paper
• Novel Commensal Rhizobacteria isolated from field-grown Canola Plants

  2025cites this paper
• Calcium Ammonium Nitrate Increases Corn Yield, Nutrient Extraction and Exportation in a Low Organic Matter Soil

  2025cites this paper
• Effect of Rates and Sources of Nitrogen on the O×G Hybrid (Elaeis oleifera × Elaeis guineensis) of Oil Palm at the Adult Stage

  2025cites this paper
• Evaluation of nitrogen dynamics under different nitrogen application levels in red pepper fields

  2025cites this paper
• Accounting for differences between crops and regions reduces estimates of nitrate leaching from nitrogen-fertilized soils

  2025influential citation
• The regulatory mechanism controlling nitrification inhibitors-induced mitigation of nitrification and NO3--N leaching in alkaline purple soil.

  2025cites this paper
• Microbial aggregates and functional materials for mitigating soil nitrogen loss: a review

  2025cites this paper
• Comammox and ammonia-oxidizing archaea dominated the nitrification under different nitrogen fertilizer levels in acid purple soil of Southwest China

  2025cites this paper
• Optimizing Eco-Efficiency of green Infrastructure: A comparative study of woody plant species Utilizing SWMM-HYDRUS model and Analytic Hierarchy process

  2025cites this paper
• The Impact of Cover Crop Biomass Introduction on the Dynamics of Nutrient Changes and Crop Productivity in Sandy-Clay Soils

  2025cites this paper
• Enabling biological nitrogen fixation in agriculture: an eco-industrial perspective

  2025cites this paper
• Salinity levels, trends and drivers of surface water salinization across China's river basins.

  2025cites this paper
• Conventional agriculture increases global warming while decreasing system sustainability

  2024cites this paper
• Exchangeable molybdenum concentration in lowland paddy fields of Sri Lanka as affected by the differences in agro-climatic zones, soil orders, and water sources

  2024cites this paper
• No-tillage farming enhances widespread nitrate leaching in the US Midwest

  2024cites this paper
• Reduced Effect of Commercial Leonardite and Seaweed Extract on Lettuce Growth under Mineral, Organic, and No Fertilization Regimes

  2024cites this paper
• Carbon footprint of global rice production and consumption

  2024cites this paper
• Optimizing neem oil coating thickness for the development of slow-release urea fertilizer to enhance wheat growth and yield

  2024cites this paper
• Nitrogen Fertilization in Snap Bean Following a Legume in the Sandy Soils of North Florida

  2024cites this paper
• Sewage Sludge Increased Lettuce Yields by Releasing Valuable Nutrients While Keeping Heavy Metals in Soil and Plants at Levels Well below International Legislative Limits

  2024cites this paper
• Managing organic resources in agriculture: future challenges from a scientific perspective

  2024cites this paper
• The estimation method is the primary source of uncertainty in cropland nitrate leaching estimates in China

  2024cites this paper
• Plant Nutrition in Relation to Water-use Efficiency in Crop Production: A review

  2024cites this paper
• Innovative formulations enriched with Bacillus velezensis S26 endospores using whey and composting leachate to enhance plant growth and mitigate strawberry diseases

  2024cites this paper
• Carbon footprint of synthetic nitrogen under staple crops: A first cradle‐to‐grave analysis

  2024cites this paper
• Crop Rotation and Nitrogen Fertilizer on Nitrate Leaching: Insights from a Low Rainfall Study

  2024cites this paper
• Agricultural fertilization near marshes impacts the potential for greenhouse gas emissions from wetland ecosystems by modifying microbial communities.

  2024cites this paper
• Nitrogen-Rich Sewage Sludge Mineralized Quickly, Improving Lettuce Nutrition and Yield, with Reduced Risk of Heavy Metal Contamination of Soil and Plant Tissues

  2024cites this paper
• Nonlinear response of soil nitric oxide emissions to fertilizer nitrogen across croplands

  2024cites this paper
• Optical and electrochemical performance of NdVO4 nanorods

  2024cites this paper
• Effect of Vetiver Grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides) on Soil Leachate Physicochemical Properties: Preliminary Assessment From a Mini-lysimeter Model

  2024cites this paper
• Quantitative nitrate leaching relationship models based on nitrogen fertilisation and the intervals between maize irrigations in the salt-affected soil

  2024cites this paper
• Potential of Irrigation and Biochar on Reduction Methane Emission and Leaching Nitrate into Groundwater

  2024influential citation
• Fates and controlling factors of nitrogen fertilizers in relation to grain yield after the application season in wheat cropping systems: A meta-analysis of 15N field trials

  2024cites this paper
• Nitrogen fertilizers and the future of sustainable agriculture: a deep dive into production, pollution, and mitigation measures

  2024cites this paper
• Infiltration and Leaching Characteristics of Soils with Different Salinity under Fertilizer Irrigation

  2024cites this paper
• The influence of increasing mineral fertilizer application on nitrogen leaching of arable land and grassland—results of a long-term lysimeter study

  2024cites this paper
• Nitrogen deposition suppresses soil respiration by reducing global belowground activity.

  2024cites this paper
• Mitigating nitrogen losses with almost no crop yield penalty during extremely wet years

  2024cites this paper
• Environmental Performance of a Mixed Crop–Dairy Cattle Farm in Alexandria (Romania)

  2024cites this paper
• Optimized fertilization mitigated carbon and nitrogen losses in a Solonchak

  2024influential citation
• Global Meta-Analysis of Nitrate Leaching Vulnerability in Synthetic and Organic Fertilizers over the Past Four Decades

  2024cites this paper
• Microbial ammonium immobilization promoted soil nitrogen retention under high moisture conditions in intensively managed fluvo-aquic soils

  2024cites this paper
• Nitrates directive restriction: To change or not to change in terms of climate change, that is the question.

  2024cites this paper
• Riverine nitrate source identification combining δ15N/δ18O-NO3- with Δ17O-NO3- and a nitrification 15N-enrichment factor in a drinking water source region.

  2024cites this paper
• No saturation of soil carbon under long-term extreme manure additions

  2024cites this paper
• Analysis of microbial communities in solid and liquid pig manure during the fertilization process

  2024cites this paper
• Coping with groundwater pollution in high-nitrate leaching areas: The efficacy of denitrification.

  2024cites this paper
• Genome-Resolved Metagenomics and Denitrifying Strain Isolation Reveal New Insights into Microbial Denitrification in the Deep Vadose Zone.

  2024cites this paper
• Dynamic transformation and leaching processes of nitrogen in a karst agricultural soil under simulated rainfall conditions.

  2024cites this paper
• A global insight on sensitivity of nitrate leaching to drainage in arable cropping systems

  2023cites this paper
• Nitrogen contribution in plants: recent agronomic approaches to improve nitrogen use efficiency

  2023cites this paper
• Groundwater nitrate pollution risk assessment based on the potential impact of land use, nitrogen balance, and vulnerability

  2023cites this paper
• Enhancing agroecosystem nitrogen management: microbial insights for improved nitrification inhibition.

  2023cites this paper
• Response of nitrate leaching to no‐tillage is dependent on soil, climate, and management factors: A global meta‐analysis

  2023cites this paper
• Aiming at low nitrogen leaching diets based on nitrogen fertilizer regulatory policy: A regional bio-economic assessment of the Zayandeh-Rud river basin-Iran.

  2023cites this paper
• Comparison of Nitrate and Ammonium Leaching of Soils Collected from Different Regions of China: A Soil Column Experiment

  2023cites this paper
• Effect of Dairy Cattle Slurry Application on Alfalfa Yield, Nitrogen Utilization, and Nitrogen Surplus

  2023cites this paper
• A perennial living mulch system fosters a more diverse and balanced soil bacterial community

  2023cites this paper
• Nitrogen doses and sources applied as top-dressing in onion crops grown under no-tillage and conventional tillage systems

  2023cites this paper
• Characteristics of Nitrogen Output during Typical Rainfall in Different Sugarcane Growth Stages in a Southern Subtropical Watershed

  2023cites this paper
• Nano-agriculture and nitrogen cycling: Opportunities and challenges for sustainable farming

  2023cites this paper
• Large-scale prediction of stream water quality using an interpretable deep learning approach.

  2023cites this paper
• Variations of soil bacterial community and denitrifier abundance with depth under different land-use types

  2023cites this paper
• Hydrological Transport and Fate of Brackish and Inorganic Contaminants with Anthropogenic Influence

  2023cites this paper
• Nitrogen and phosphorus losses via surface runoff from tea plantations in the mountainous areas of Southwest China

  2023cites this paper
• Unraveling mechanisms behind reduced nitrate leaching with graphite nanomaterials addition with fertilizers in soil column experiments.

  2023cites this paper
• Potential risk assessment due to groundwater quality deterioration and quantifying the major influencing factors using geographical detectors in the Gunabay watershed of Ethiopia

  2023cites this paper
• Developmental regulation and physical interaction among enzymes involved in sorgoleone biosynthesis.

  2023cites this paper