Toward to agricultural green development by multi-objective zoning and nitrogen nutrient management: a case study in the Baiyangdian Basin, China

doi:10.15302/J-FASE-2023533

2024, Vol. 11

Issue (1) : 140-154 https://doi.org/10.15302/J-FASE-2023533

Toward to agricultural green development by multi-objective zoning and nitrogen nutrient management: a case study in the Baiyangdian Basin, China

Xiaomeng ZHANG¹, Xiangwen FAN²(

), Wenqi MA¹(

), Zhaohai BAI², Jiafa LUO³, Jing YANG², Ling LIU², Jianjie ZHANG¹, Lin MA²

¹. College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071000, China
². Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetic and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang 050022, China
³. Ruakura Research Centre, AgResearch Limited, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand

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Abstract

● Development of a novel multi-indicator partition optimization method of nitrogen nutrient management.

● Calculation of multi-indicator environmental thresholds for ammonia volatilization, nitrogen surplus and soil carrying capacity in various regions within the basin.

● Recommendation of various regional spatial optimization methods to enhance nutrient management in crop–livestock systems.

Although China has achieved great advancements toward national food security, the country is still confronted with a range of challenges, including natural resource stress, imbalanced diets and environmental pollution. Optimized management of crop–livestock systems is the key measure to realize agricultural green transformation. However, optimized management of crop–livestock systems that use multi-objective zoning is lacking. This study employed a multi-objective zoning management approach to comprehensively analyze four indicators: ammonia volatilization, nitrogen surplus, soil carrying capacity and ecological red line area. With its significant ecological integrity and a strong emphasis on sustainability, the Baiyangdian Basin serves as a unique and suitable test case for conducting analyses on multi-objective nutrient optimization management, with the aim to facilitate the agricultural green transformation. This study finds that less than 8% of the area in the Baiyangdian Basin meet the acceptable environmental indicator standard, whereas around 50% of the area that had both nitrogen surplus and ammonia volatilization exceeded the threshold. Implementation of unified management, that is, the same management technique across the study areas, could result in an increase of areas meeting environmental indicator thresholds to 21.1%. This project developed a novel multi-indicator partition optimization method, in which distinct measures are tailored for different areas to satisfy multiple environmental indicators. Implementation of this method, could potentially bring more than 50% area below the threshold, and areas with ammonia emissions and nitrogen surplus could be reduced to 15.8%. The multi-indicators partition optimization method represents a more advanced and efficiency-oriented management approach when compared to unified management. This approach could be regarded as the best available option to help China achieve agricultural transformation to improve efficient production and reduce environmental pollution. It is recommended that current policies aimed at nutrient management toward sustainable agricultural development should shift toward the application of multi-indicators partition optimization.

Keywords Agricultural green development Baiyangdian Basin environmental emission threshold partition management

Corresponding Author(s): Xiangwen FAN,Wenqi MA

Just Accepted Date: 26 December 2023 Online First Date: 24 January 2024 Issue Date: 08 March 2024

Cite this article:

Xiaomeng ZHANG,Xiangwen FAN,Wenqi MA, et al. Toward to agricultural green development by multi-objective zoning and nitrogen nutrient management: a case study in the Baiyangdian Basin, China[J]. Front. Agr. Sci. Eng. , 2024, 11(1): 140-154.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fase/EN/10.15302/J-FASE-2023533
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fase/EN/Y2024/V11/I1/140

Fig.1 Conceptual framework of transformed agriculture.

Tab.1 Threshold of ammonia volatilization in different grade regions

Tab.2 Threshold of surplus nitrogen in different grade regions

Fig.2 Level of indicators in different zones (low, below the threshold; high, exceeding the threshold; A, safe zone; B, overloaded zone; C, high ammonia zone; D, high ammonia overload zone; E, high surplus zone; F, high surplus overload zone; G, high ammonia and surplus nitrogen zone; H, high-risk zone, and O, ecological red line area).

Tab.3 Emission reduction technologies in different zones

Fig.3 Proportion distribution of environmental indicators in the Baiyangdian Basin (%): (a) ammonia emission, (b) surplus N, and (c) soil carrying capacity.

Fig.4 Environmental zoning for the crop–livestock systems in the Baiyangdian Basin (A–O represents the meaning as shown in Fig. 2).

Tab.4 Area proportion of different environmental zones in the crop–livestock systems of Baiyangdian Basin (%)

Fig.5 Changes of environmental indicators under different scenarios: (a) ammonia emission, (b) surplus N, (c) soil carrying capacity.

Fig.6 Proportion of different regions in different scenarios (%) (A–H represents the meaning as shown in Fig.2).

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