MINERAL NITROGEN FERTILIZERS: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF PRODUCTION AND USE - Fertilizers: Components, Uses in Agriculture and Environmental Impacts - page 32

in order to coincide N applications with crop N uptake demand. Balanced fertilization should
be performed by supplying all required nutrients for crop growth, in order to improve crop N
use efficiency, and maximize CO 2 fixation. Calibrated fertilizer application can be achieved
by using equipment that ensure accurate delivery of prescribed N rates and proper placement.
Overlaps application should be avoided. In intensive crop systems of arid and semi-arid lands,
an effective irrigation scheduling is basic, not only to improve crops performance but also to
keep soil moisture in that value (40-60% WFPS) to reduce the N loss as N 2 O. Correct
irrigation reduce the also the risk of nitrate leaching. Moreover, in order to avoid NO 3 -
leaching, the application of NO 3 - based or any N sources on wet or waterlogged soils and on
highly permeable soils should be avoided.
Cover crop can be a successful management to guarantee continuous N uptake,
particularly after the application of fertilizers with slow release of N. Soil tillage represents a
management that drain soil, reducing in that way anoxic conditions favorable to N 2 O
emission. Recently, positive results have been obtained by using nitrification and urease
inhibitors at reducing N 2 O and NH 3 loss, respectively.

A CKNOWLEDGMENTS

This chapter was supported by the PON-REC ―ENERBIOCHEM‖ Project no, 881/Ric -
National Operative Programme (PON) ―Research and Competitiveness 2007-2013
PON01_01966/10‖, PRIN MIUR 2009-2013 STNWX3 and the CSGI. Careful reading and
revising of the chapter by Professor Emeritus Les Brooks, Sonoma State University, is very
gratefully acknowledged.

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