Estimation of Fertilizer Usage from Main Crops in China

In order to seek and estimate the fertilizer application from main crops in China, this paper analyzed the current use of fertilizer, as well as the use of fertilizer in different crops for more than 30 years. We found that the crop fertilizer usage was growing from 12.694 million tons in 1980 to 59.959 million tons in 2014, with the overall raise of 4.7 times, and an annual growth rate of 4.67%. Fertilizer usage from cereal crop contributed the most to the total use, with the fertilizer application from 27.124 1 million tons in 1980 to 34.153 5 million tons in 2014, but the ratio of its fertilizer usage to the total fertilizer consume from crops in China decreased from 60.02% in 1998 to 49.75% in 2014. The fertilizer application from vegetable and fruit crops grew most rapidly, with an raise of 2.1 times from vegetables crops, increasing from 6.045 1 million tons in 1998 to 12.913 6 million tons in 2014, and its ratio to the total fertilizer application in crops from 13.38% in 1998 to 18.81% in 2014. The fertilizer application from fruit increased from 5.315 5 million tons in 1998 to 12.234 2 million tons in 2014, increasing by 2.4 times compared with that in 1998, and its ratio to the total fertilizer application from crops increased from 11.76% in 1998 to 17.82% in 2014. In addition, according to our study, great regional differences in the gross amount of fertilizer usage were found, with a decreasing trend from east to west, with the highest usage in East China and Central China. In accordance with the per unit use of fertilizer, it decreased from east to west, the same from south to north, with the highest fertilizer application in South China and East China.