Accounting for differences between crops and regions reduces estimates of nitrate leaching from nitrogen-fertilized soils

Yan Wang; Yihong Liu; Longlong Xia; Hiroko Akiyama; Xinli Chen; Ji Chen; Yunying Fang; Tony Vancov; Yongfu Li; Yuan Zhi Yao; Dianming Wu; Bing Yu; Scott X. Chang; Yanjiang Cai

doi:10.1038/s43247-025-02001-0

Accounting for differences between crops and regions reduces estimates of nitrate leaching from nitrogen-fertilized soils

Yan Wang
, Yihong Liu
, Longlong Xia
, Hiroko Akiyama
, Xinli Chen
, Ji Chen
, Yunying Fang
, Tony Vancov
, Yongfu Li
, Yuan Zhi Yao
, Dianming Wu
, Bing Yu
, Scott X. Chang
, Yanjiang Cai^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

Nitrate (NO₃⁻) leaching from nitrogen (N) fertilized soils is a significant global concern, affecting both the environment and public health. However, substantial uncertainties and variabilities in NO₃⁻ leaching factors (LFs) among regions or crops impede accurate assessments of NO₃⁻ leaching. Here we synthesize 2500 field observations worldwide and show that LFs vary by an order of magnitude across regions and crops, primarily driven by hydroclimatic and edaphic conditions rather than N fertilizer management. Global cropland NO₃⁻ leaching from synthetic N fertilization, calculated through spatially explicit (15.4, 14.8–16.1 Tg N yr^–1) and crop-specific (12.9, 11.0–14.8 Tg N yr^–1) LFs, is 41% lower than the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Tier 1 global inventory. Over 47% of this leaching is concentrated in China, India, and the United States, with maize, wheat, rice and vegetables accounting for nearly half of it. Improved regional and crop-specific LFs will provide a benchmark for NO₃⁻ leaching abatement by pinpointing potential global hotspots.

Original language	English
Article number	29
Journal	Communications Earth and Environment
Volume	6
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02001-0
State	Published - Dec 2025
Externally published	Yes

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10.1038/s43247-025-02001-0

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Wang, Y., Liu, Y., Xia, L., Akiyama, H., Chen, X., Chen, J., Fang, Y., Vancov, T., Li, Y., Yao, Y. Z., Wu, D., Yu, B., Chang, S. X., & Cai, Y. (2025). Accounting for differences between crops and regions reduces estimates of nitrate leaching from nitrogen-fertilized soils. Communications Earth and Environment, 6(1), Article 29. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02001-0

@article{559231e996c5432cbaf6db61c1aa90df,

title = "Accounting for differences between crops and regions reduces estimates of nitrate leaching from nitrogen-fertilized soils",

abstract = "Nitrate (NO3−) leaching from nitrogen (N) fertilized soils is a significant global concern, affecting both the environment and public health. However, substantial uncertainties and variabilities in NO3− leaching factors (LFs) among regions or crops impede accurate assessments of NO3− leaching. Here we synthesize 2500 field observations worldwide and show that LFs vary by an order of magnitude across regions and crops, primarily driven by hydroclimatic and edaphic conditions rather than N fertilizer management. Global cropland NO3− leaching from synthetic N fertilization, calculated through spatially explicit (15.4, 14.8–16.1 Tg N yr–1) and crop-specific (12.9, 11.0–14.8 Tg N yr–1) LFs, is 41\% lower than the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Tier 1 global inventory. Over 47\% of this leaching is concentrated in China, India, and the United States, with maize, wheat, rice and vegetables accounting for nearly half of it. Improved regional and crop-specific LFs will provide a benchmark for NO3− leaching abatement by pinpointing potential global hotspots.",

author = "Yan Wang and Yihong Liu and Longlong Xia and Hiroko Akiyama and Xinli Chen and Ji Chen and Yunying Fang and Tony Vancov and Yongfu Li and Yao, \{Yuan Zhi\} and Dianming Wu and Bing Yu and Chang, \{Scott X.\} and Yanjiang Cai",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2025.",

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month = dec,

doi = "10.1038/s43247-025-02001-0",

language = "英语",

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T1 - Accounting for differences between crops and regions reduces estimates of nitrate leaching from nitrogen-fertilized soils

AU - Wang, Yan

AU - Liu, Yihong

AU - Xia, Longlong

AU - Akiyama, Hiroko

AU - Chen, Xinli

AU - Chen, Ji

AU - Fang, Yunying

AU - Vancov, Tony

AU - Li, Yongfu

AU - Yao, Yuan Zhi

AU - Wu, Dianming

AU - Yu, Bing

AU - Chang, Scott X.

AU - Cai, Yanjiang

PY - 2025/12

Y1 - 2025/12

N2 - Nitrate (NO3−) leaching from nitrogen (N) fertilized soils is a significant global concern, affecting both the environment and public health. However, substantial uncertainties and variabilities in NO3− leaching factors (LFs) among regions or crops impede accurate assessments of NO3− leaching. Here we synthesize 2500 field observations worldwide and show that LFs vary by an order of magnitude across regions and crops, primarily driven by hydroclimatic and edaphic conditions rather than N fertilizer management. Global cropland NO3− leaching from synthetic N fertilization, calculated through spatially explicit (15.4, 14.8–16.1 Tg N yr–1) and crop-specific (12.9, 11.0–14.8 Tg N yr–1) LFs, is 41% lower than the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Tier 1 global inventory. Over 47% of this leaching is concentrated in China, India, and the United States, with maize, wheat, rice and vegetables accounting for nearly half of it. Improved regional and crop-specific LFs will provide a benchmark for NO3− leaching abatement by pinpointing potential global hotspots.

AB - Nitrate (NO3−) leaching from nitrogen (N) fertilized soils is a significant global concern, affecting both the environment and public health. However, substantial uncertainties and variabilities in NO3− leaching factors (LFs) among regions or crops impede accurate assessments of NO3− leaching. Here we synthesize 2500 field observations worldwide and show that LFs vary by an order of magnitude across regions and crops, primarily driven by hydroclimatic and edaphic conditions rather than N fertilizer management. Global cropland NO3− leaching from synthetic N fertilization, calculated through spatially explicit (15.4, 14.8–16.1 Tg N yr–1) and crop-specific (12.9, 11.0–14.8 Tg N yr–1) LFs, is 41% lower than the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Tier 1 global inventory. Over 47% of this leaching is concentrated in China, India, and the United States, with maize, wheat, rice and vegetables accounting for nearly half of it. Improved regional and crop-specific LFs will provide a benchmark for NO3− leaching abatement by pinpointing potential global hotspots.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85218141166

U2 - 10.1038/s43247-025-02001-0

DO - 10.1038/s43247-025-02001-0

M3 - 文章

AN - SCOPUS:85218141166

SN - 2662-4435

VL - 6

JO - Communications Earth and Environment

JF - Communications Earth and Environment

IS - 1

M1 - 29

ER -

Accounting for differences between crops and regions reduces estimates of nitrate leaching from nitrogen-fertilized soils

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