1. Long-term reduction of nitrogen fertilizer use through knowledge training in rice production in China.
- Author
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Huang, Jikun, Huang, Zhurong, Jia, Xiangping, Hu, Ruifa, and Xiang, Cheng
- Subjects
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NITROGEN fertilizers , *RICE farming , *AGRICULTURAL productivity , *AGRICULTURAL pollution , *GREENHOUSE gases & the environment , *PLANT nutrients - Abstract
Nitrogen (N) fertilizer has been excessively used in China's crop production, resulting in nonpoint pollution and significant greenhouse gas emissions. Previous studies show that farmers can reduce N-fertilizer upon receiving knowledge training. However, there is little evidence of the effectiveness of this effort in the long term. Based on an experimental study of site-specific nutrient management for rice production in China and a unique household dataset captured over seven years, this study shows that the traditional training approach has not been effective in reducing Chinese farmers' N-fertilizer use. Persistently reducing farmers' excessive use of N-fertilizer in the long term will require intensive in-field guidance – something that requires substantial investment and institutional innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
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