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31 August, 2023

A ground-breaking project in China’s North China Plain has shown that it’s possible to cut harmful farm emissions dramatically without compromising food production — and even improve farmers’ profits in the process.

In Quzhou county, researchers trialled a series of coordinated fertiliser management techniques in local wheat and maize farms, reducing ammonia (NH₃) emissions by nearly half. The initiative also delivered cleaner air and a financial boost for smallholder farmers — a rare convergence of environmental and economic benefits in a region where agricultural pollution has long been seen as intractable.

China is the world’s largest emitter of agricultural ammonia, a key contributor to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which is linked to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Much of this comes from fertiliser use by millions of small-scale farmers with limited access to training or resources.

To address this, the researchers established so-called “Demonstration Squares” — pilot zones where best practices in nitrogen fertiliser use were introduced through a unique collaboration between farmers, scientists, local businesses and government officials. The strategy included applying fertilisers at optimal rates, placing them deeper in the soil, and using additives known as urease inhibitors to reduce ammonia loss.

The results were striking. Ammonia emissions from wheat fields fell by 49%, and by 39% from maize. At the same time, nitrogen use efficiency — a measure of how effectively crops use fertiliser — improved by 28% and 40%, respectively. Farmers saw profits rise by up to a quarter, all without any decline in crop yields.

The benefits extended beyond individual farms. County-wide, average atmospheric ammonia levels dropped by 40%, and PM2.5 concentrations fell by 8%. The researchers estimate the total net economic gain for the region at $7 million (£5.4 million), accounting for both improved farm performance and public health gains.

“Our Demonstration Square approach shows that it’s possible to align environmental protection with food security and rural development — even in a complex, smallholder-dominated landscape,” the study’s authors wrote.

The findings offer a potential model for other regions in China — and globally — where agricultural emissions pose a threat to air quality and health. They also come as policymakers worldwide seek to reduce nitrogen pollution, in line with broader climate and sustainability goals.

Publication
Contacts

Prof. Keith Goulding

Soil Chemist

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