Abstract
A Canadian Agricultural Nitrogen Budget model was developed to calculate the agro-environmental indicators: Residual soil nitrogen (RSN) and Indicator of Risk of Water Contamination by Nitrogen (IROWC-N) for 3500 polygons of the 1:1 m Soil Landscapes of Canada scale. Residual Soil Nitrogen was calculated for the census years 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996 and 2001. These results were then used in conjunction with climate data to calculate over-winter N loss and its concentration in the drainage water. The main inputs were the acreages, yields and N recommendation rates for major crops, and the types and numbers of livestock. Various coefficients and assumptions were incorporated into the calculations. Validation of the model was carried out using provincial nitrogen sales data, and results showed good agreement between the calculated fertilizer N and the amount of fertilizer N sold in each province in 1996 and 2001. The two indicators were linked to outputs of the economic-based Canadian Regional Agricultural Model in order to assess the impacts of policy scenarios on nitrogen balance. At the national scale, the scenario of improved N fertilization practices reduced the RSN by 13%. RSN was also sensitive to the N2O:N2 ratio resulting from N losses through denitrification. Key words: Landscape nitrogen model, Agri-Environmental Indicator, Soil Landscapes of Canada, Census of Agriculture
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.