Ecologically optimal nitrogen application rates for rice cropping in the Taihu Lake region of China

Excessive nitrogen (N) fertilization in intensive agricultural areas in the Taihu Lake region of East China has resulted in low N utilization efficiency and serious environmental problems, giving rise to the need for an urgent reduction in the N fertilization rate. However, no holistic evaluations of rice (Oryza sativa L.) yield effect and environmental effects of N fertilization have been conducted when recommending an optimal N rate. The current study provides an economic indicator and an evaluation model to account for the environmental effects of different N losses after N fertilizer application in the ecological and economic N rate for one rice season in the Taihu Lake region. Based on the assembled data and economic index, a general economic evaluation model to measure efficiently the cascading costs of the chemical N cycle at the regional scale was developed. Thereafter, fertilizer-stimulated benefit curves and fertilizer-induced cost curves were generated to determine an economically and ecologically optimal N application rate. The results revealed that the maximum net benefits were 3,123 yuan ha⁻¹ at 202 kg N ha⁻¹ for one rice season in the Taihu Lake region. Additional N application up to a rate of 263 kg N ha⁻¹ would increase rice production, but the increase in the total marginal costs would be slightly greater than the increase in marginal benefits. Among the marginal costs, the fertilizer and acidification costs were the greatest expenses, amounting to 1,716 yuan at 263 kg N ha⁻¹, followed by eutrophication and global warming costs. When compared with the conventional N fertilization rate, this recommended rate could decrease the amount of N applied to rice from 10 to 40%, thereby, enabling optimum economic and ecological results.