Balance of nitrogen use in agriculture
Definition
The nitrogen balance in agriculture contains information on the flows of this plant nutrient from mineral fertilizers, applied manure, atmospheric deposition, removal by crops, and biological fixation in agricultural land and per unit area of agricultural land. The flows are aggregated into total inputs and total outputs, from which the overall nutrient balance and nutrient use efficiency in agricultural land are calculated. Statistics are presented in tons and kg/ha, as appropriate. Nutrient use efficiency is expressed as a fraction (%).
Interpretation
The nutrient balance in agricultural land can indicate the use and efficiency of that use; that is, it can help quantify excess nutrients that lead to environmental risks, such as greenhouse gas emissions or pollution from volatilization and leaching/surface runoff. Alternatively, it can signal nutrient deficiencies in the soil that limit agricultural production.
Data source
National Association for the Dissemination of Fertilizers: https://anda.org.br/; Calculation method: https://files-faostat.fao.org/production/ESB/ESB_e.pdf - although we have data to perform the calculation, for validation and operationalization of the method, it will be necessary to have its viability evaluated by an agronomy specialist.
| Level | Periodicity |
|---|---|
| State | Annual |