Improve soil nutrient management towards a low carbon economy in China

Project funded by the Strategic Programme Fund (SPF) as part of the Low carbon, high growth programme

Objectives

The main objective is to convince China’s national policy makers that improved crop nutrient management aimed at reducing the widespread overuse of nitrogen (N) fertiliser will give multiple environmental and economic benefits without endangering food security. The project will demonstrate that reduction of N fertiliser overuse could improve farm incomes, lower fossil fuel inputs to crop production, limit ecosystem damage caused by N fertiliser losses to the environment, significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from China’s agriculture, and make a significant contribution to the achievement of a low carbon agricultural economy whilst meeting other goals of the 11th 5 year plan and the UN Millennium Assessment.

Justification

Agriculture is an essential component of the Chinese economy. Since 1980 grain production has increased by 50%, and high synthetic N fertilizer use (increased by 275% since 1980) has been an essential factor for raising crop yields. However, it is now widely overused with serious impacts on water and air quality at local and global scales, and unnecessarily high indirect energy inputs to crop production. Consequently:

1. N fertilizer production accounts for >70% of fossil energy inputs to agriculture, therefore a reduction is essential for progress to a low carbon agricultural economy.
2. N fertilizer production in China releases about 200 Mt CO2 plus 100 Mt CO2-equivalent as nitrous oxide, a dangerous green house gas.
3. Additional nitrous oxide emitted from the use of fertilizers and manures in agriculture, (>150 Mt CO2-equivalent).
4. These emissions represent over 20% of total CO2 emissions from China and about 25% of global N2O emissions from agriculture.
5. N from agriculture is a major cause of eutrophication in Chinese surface waters and regional seas.
6. Overuse commonly ranges from 25-50%.
However, large reductions in N use are achievable. Analyses on a range of crops across China indicate that cuts of at least 25%, and probably considerably more, are possible through application of current knowledge and without any risk to food security or farm incomes. The required actions will involve greater recycling and waste minimisation - key objectives in China’s plans to establish a circular economy.

The N fertiliser overuse stems from a range of factors, particularly lack of awareness (a) by farmers of sound N management practices and how much N they need to use; (b) the socio-economic and environmental gains from shifting to a low carbon agricultural economy, (c) the critical role that improved N management could play in reducing indirect fossil fuel impacts to crop production; (d) inadequate information for sound policy formulation regarding fertiliser use; (e) ineffective advisory systems at local level, and (f) perverse economic incentives that encourage fertilizer over-use.

Project aims and activities

The aims are to foster changes in agricultural policies that will improve advice and incentives to Chinese farmers on sustainable fertiliser use to ensure progress to a low carbon agricultural economy. They will be achieved by (a) quantifying and raising awareness of the critical role that N nutrient management plays in a low carbon agriculture, (b) translating current knowledge and technology into practice at farm level, and (c) stimulating necessary science and technology innovation through partnership between researchers, farmers, and industry.

The project will start in April 2009 and be completed by March 2011. It will build on the experience and knowledge gained from an ongoing DFID project in Shaanxi Province. Activities will include:
1. Review of current techniques and approaches (in China and internationally) to increase efficiency of use of fertilizers and manures, with particular reference to nitrogen, waste recycling, biogas production, and the implications for low carbon agriculture.
2. Generating the evidence base and completing the policy analysis required to justify a new GOC strategy to promote improved nutrient management as a major and cost effective contribution to low carbon agriculture.
3. Establishing that the strategy can be implemented by demonstrating the suitability and adaptability of existing and emerging techniques for a range of situations in four diverse provinces.
4. Consulting with appropriate industries on the adaptation of technologies for use under field conditions.
5. Organising quarterly meetings with a cross section of farmers to assess needs and factors influencing their decision making on nutrient management.
6. Developing and testing ways of integrating emerging information technologies (mobile phones, internet, web sites, interactive computer programs, etc) into communications delivery and the decision making process.
7. Writing policy briefing papers on the actions required for low carbon agriculture and disseminating and discussing them via an internet based forum.
8. Organising high-level (ministerial) meetings and workshops on low carbon-decision making

Expected Outputs

1. Report on life cycle analysis of fossil carbon input and GHG emission reduction from improved N management.
2. Inventory and critical assessment of techniques for more efficient management of nutrients from manures, organic wastes and chemical fertilizers (with a particular focus on nitrogen due to the high greenhouse gas emissions associated with its manufacture and use).
3. Document on promising technologies and their potential for (a) reducing GHG emissions by 25% without any reduction in yields and (b) their wider use in a range of regions and farming systems in China.
4. Identification and tests of technical innovations to convert research findings into practical techniques completed in cooperation with advisory agencies, farmer associations and industry.
5. Trials completed on innovative communication methods to inform land users and farmers associations of the applicability of new nutrient management techniques tailored to their specific economic, social and geographical situations.
6. Evidence and recommendations to the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture on the national and local policy options for encouraging the uptake of low carbon approaches in agriculture that can maintain high production and contribute to the lowering of food price inflation.

Who is involved

The project is led by Professor David Powlson of Rothamsted International and Professor Zhang Fusuo, China Agricultural University, Beijing. The other major partners are the Northwest University of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, College of Resources and Environment, Nanjing Agricultural University, CAS Centre for Chinese Agricultural Policy, the Environment Institute, University College London, North Wyke Research and the University of East Anglia. Strategy and policy guidance will be provided by a Steering Group of senior officials from DEFRA, DIFID, the FCO, and the BBSRC in the UK, and in China from MoA, NDRC, the CCICED, the CAAS and CAS, top universities and the Chinese fertiliser industry. The FCO’s Science & Innovation section in Shanghai will coordinate the project as part of the UK-China Partners in Science programme, and facilitate discussions with the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture regarding low carbon agriculture and fertiliser use policy.