Cited by 3,054Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental ImpactAgricultural Science and FertilizationSoil and Water Nutrient Dynamics

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 89 of the 89 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Managing nitrogen for sustainable development.

Open access

Zhang, Xin, Davidson, Eric A., Mauzerall, Denise L., Searchinger, Timothy D., Dumas, Patrice, Shen, Ye·2015·Nature

DOI 10.1038/nature15743

Open this paper in CoChat — free account

Abstract

Improvements in nitrogen use efficiency in crop production are critical for addressing the triple challenges of food security, environmental degradation and climate change. Such improvements are conditional not only on technological innovation, but also on socio-economic factors that are at present poorly understood. Here we examine historical patterns of agricultural nitrogen-use efficiency and find a broad range of national approaches to agricultural development and related pollution. We analyse examples of nitrogen use and propose targets, by geographic region and crop type, to meet the 2050 global food demand projected by the Food and Agriculture Organization while also meeting the Sustainable Development Goals pertaining to agriculture recently adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. Furthermore, we discuss socio-economic policies and technological innovations that may help achieve them.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1038/nature15743

Cites

89 of 89 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Recomputing p-values needs the paper’s full text.

Claims the paper makes

The text we found for this paper looks like another document, so its claims and self-check weren’t run. The registry and citation checks still apply.

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The text we found for this paper looks like another document, so the self-check wasn’t run.

Bounds testing approaches to the analysis of level relationships
Pesaran, M. H., Shin, Y., & Smith, R. J. (2001) · Journal of Applied Econometrics · doi:10.1002/jae.616 · Cited by 20,385
Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet
Steffen, W., Richardson, K., Rockström, J., Cornell, S. E., Fetzer, I., Bennett, E. M., Biggs, R., Carpenter, S. R., de Vries, W., de Wit, C. A., et al. (2015) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1259855 · Cited by 12,527
Economic growth and the environment
Grossman, G. M., & Krueger, A. B. (1995) · The Quarterly Journal of Economics · doi:10.2307/2118443 · Cited by 9,901
Solutions for a cultivated planet
Foley, J. A., Ramankutty, N., Brauman, K. A., Cassidy, E. S., Gerber, J. S., Johnston, M., Mueller, N. D., O’Connell, C., Ray, D. K., West, P. C., et al. (2011) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature10452 · Cited by 8,476
Global food demand and the sustainable intensification of agriculture
Tilman, D., Balzer, C., Hill, J., & Befort, B. L. (2011) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1116437108 · Cited by 7,692
Transformation of the Nitrogen Cycle: Recent Trends, Questions, and Potential Solutions
Galloway, J. N., Townsend, A. R., Erisman, J. W., Bekunda, M., Cai, Z., Freney, J. R., Martinelli, L. A., Seitzinger, S. P., & Sutton, M. A. (2008) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1136674 · Cited by 6,995
The story of phosphorus: Global food security and food for thought
Cordell, D., Drangert, J.-O., & White, S. B. (2009) · Global Environmental Change · doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2008.10.009 · Cited by 5,200
How a century of ammonia synthesis changed the world
Erisman, J. W., Sutton, M. A., Galloway, J. N., Klimont, Z., & Winiwarter, W. (2008) · Nature Geoscience · doi:10.1038/ngeo325 · Cited by 4,630
Handbook of Economic Growth
Aghion, P., & Durlauf, S. N. (2005) · RePEc: Research Papers in Economics · Cited by 4,447
Environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis: a survey
Dinda, S. (2004) · Ecological Economics · doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2004.02.011 · Cited by 4,106

Show all 89 references

Research works printed but not linked: 1

Nakicenovic, N. & Swart, R. (eds) IPCC Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (Cambridge Univ. Press, 2000)

Sorted by citations

Items 501–600 of 1,001

How to feed the world while reducing nitrogen pollution
Xia, L., & Yan, X. (2023) · Nature · doi:10.1038/d41586-022-04490-x · Cited by 56
Maize/soybean intercrop over time has higher yield stability relative to matched monoculture under different nitrogen-application rates
Liu, X., Meng, L., Yin, T., Wang, X., Zhang, S. J., Cheng, Z., Ogundeji, A. O., & Li, S. (2023) · Field Crops Research · doi:10.1016/j.fcr.2023.109015 · Cited by 56
Global food loss and waste embodies unrecognized harms to air quality and biodiversity hotspots
Guo, Y., Tan, H., Zhang, L., Liu, G., Zhou, M., Vira, J., Hess, P., Liu, X., Paulot, F., & Liu, X. (2023) · Nature Food · doi:10.1038/s43016-023-00810-0 · Cited by 63
Electrosynthesis of Urea on High‐Density Ga─Y Dual‐Atom Catalyst via Cross‐Tuning
Chen, D., Cai, Y., Xiao, Y. F., Wang, C., Li, Y., Ma, K., Xiao, D., Wang, H., Lee, C., Zhang, L., et al. (2025) · Advanced Materials · doi:10.1002/adma.202420593 · Cited by 56
Carbon emission avoidance and capture by producing in-reactor microbial biomass based food, feed and slow release fertilizer: Potentials and limitations
Pikaar, I., Vrieze, J. D., Rabaey, K., Herrero, M., Smith, P., & Verstraete, W. (2018) · The Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.07.089 · Cited by 59
Agricultural nitrogen flow in a reservoir watershed and its implications for water pollution mitigation
Xu, R., Cai, Y., Wang, X., Li, C., Liu, Q., & Yang, Z. (2020) · Journal of Cleaner Production · doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122034 · Cited by 59
Crops, Nitrogen, Water: Are Legumes Friend, Foe, or Misunderstood Ally?
Adams, M. A., Buchmann, N., Sprent, J., Buckley, T. N., & Turnbull, T. L. (2018) · Trends in Plant Science · doi:10.1016/j.tplants.2018.02.009 · Cited by 54
Closing Greenhouse Gas Emission Gaps of Staple Crops in China
Liu, Y., Gu, W., Liu, B., Zhang, C., Wang, C., Yang, Y., & Zhuang, M. (2022) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/acs.est.2c01978 · Cited by 54
Use of whey protein as a natural polymer for the encapsulation of plant biocontrol bacteria: A review
Riseh, R. S., Vazvani, M. G., Hassanisaadi, M., Thakur, V. K., & Kennedy, J. F. (2023) · International Journal of Biological Macromolecules · doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.123708 · Cited by 55
Managing nitrogen to achieve sustainable food-energy-water nexus in China
Chen, B., Zhang, X., & Gu, B. (2025) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-025-60098-5 · Cited by 55
Coupling life-cycle assessment and the RothC model to estimate the carbon footprint of green manure-based wheat production in China
Yao, Z., Zhang, D., Yao, P., Zhao, N., Liu, N., Zhai, B., Zhang, S., Li, Y., Huang, D., Cao, W., et al. (2017) · The Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.07.028 · Cited by 55
Atom Conversion Efficiency: A New Sustainability Metric Applied to Nitrogen and Phosphorus Use in Agriculture
Urso, J. H., & Gilbertson, L. M. (2018) · ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering · doi:10.1021/acssuschemeng.7b03600 · Cited by 57
How much nitrogen does Africa need to feed itself by 2050?
Elrys, A., Metwally, M. S., Raza, S., Alnaimy, M. A., Shaheen, S. M., Chen, Z., & Zhou, J. (2020) · Journal of Environmental Management · doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110488 · Cited by 44
Lowering carbon footprint of wheat-maize cropping system in North China Plain: Through microbial fertilizer application with adaptive tillage
Gong, H., Li, J., Sun, M., Xu, X., & Ouyang, Z. (2020) · Journal of Cleaner Production · doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122255 · Cited by 54
Open‐Path Dual‐Comb Spectroscopy for Multispecies Trace Gas Detection in the 4.5–5 µm Spectral Region
Giorgetta, F. R., Peischl, J., Herman, D. I., Ycas, G. G., Coddington, I. R., Newbury, N. R., & Cossel, K. C. (2021) · Laser & Photonics Review · doi:10.1002/lpor.202000583 · Cited by 57
Biochar and organic substitution improved net ecosystem economic benefit in intensive vegetable production
Bi, R., Zhang, Q., Zhan, L., Xu, X., Zhang, X., Dong, Y., Yan, X., & Xiong, Z. (2022) · Biochar · doi:10.1007/s42773-022-00168-9 · Cited by 58
A redistribution of nitrogen fertiliser across global croplands can help achieve food security within environmental boundaries
Smerald, A., Kraus, D., Rahimi, J., Fuchs, K., Kiese, R., Butterbach‐Bahl, K., & Scheer, C. (2023) · Communications Earth & Environment · doi:10.1038/s43247-023-00970-8 · Cited by 65
We need radical change in how we produce and consume food
Horton, P. (2017) · Food Security · doi:10.1007/s12571-017-0740-9 · Cited by 59
Wheat and maize-derived water-washed and unwashed biochar improved the nutrients phytoavailability and the grain and straw yield of rice and wheat: A field trial for sustainable management of paddy soils
Korai, P. K., Sial, T. A., Pan, G., Abdelrahman, H. M., Sikdar, A., Kumbhar, F., Channa, S. A., Ali, E. F., Zhang, J., Rinklebe, J., et al. (2021) · Journal of Environmental Management · doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113250 · Cited by 60
Improving smallholder farmers' maize yields and economic benefits under sustainable crop intensification in the North China Plain
Ren, H., Han, K. J., Liu, Y., Zhao, Y., Zhang, L., He, Q., Li, Z., Zhang, J., Liu, P., Wang, H., et al. (2020) · The Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143035 · Cited by 53
The effect of long-term biochar amendment on N2O emissions: Experiments with N15-O18 isotopes combined with specific inhibition approaches
Zhang, Q., Zhang, X., Duan, P., Jiang, X., Shen, H., Yan, X., & Xiong, Z. (2021) · The Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144533 · Cited by 55
A sustainable approach to narrowing the summer maize yield gap experienced by smallholders in the North China Plain
Wang, H., Ren, H., Zhang, L., Zhao, Y., Liu, Y., He, Q., Li, G., Han, K. J., Zhang, J., Zhao, B., et al. (2022) · Agricultural Systems · doi:10.1016/j.agsy.2022.103541 · Cited by 53
Genetic basis controlling rice plant architecture and its modification for breeding
Tanaka, W., Yamauchi, T., & Tsuda, K. (2023) · Ikushugaku zasshi · doi:10.1270/jsbbs.22088 · Cited by 56
Review of soil dissolved organic nitrogen cycling: Implication for groundwater nitrogen contamination
Wang, L., & Li, M. (2023) · Journal of Hazardous Materials · doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132713 · Cited by 53
Global meta-analysis and three-year field experiment shows that deep placement of fertilizer can enhance crop productivity and decrease gaseous nitrogen losses
Wu, P., Wu, Q., Huang, H. Y., Xie, L. Y., An, H., Zhao, X., Wang, F., Gao, Z., Zhang, R., Bangura, K., et al. (2024) · Field Crops Research · doi:10.1016/j.fcr.2024.109263 · Cited by 56
Understanding plant–soil interactions underpins enhanced sustainability of crop production
Wang, X., Cheng, L., Xiong, C., Whalley, W. R., Miller, T., Rengel, Z., Zhang, F. S., & Shen, J. (2024) · Trends in Plant Science · doi:10.1016/j.tplants.2024.05.008 · Cited by 53
Climate warming and heatwaves accelerate global lake deoxygenation
Zhang, Y., Shi, K., Woolway, R. I., Wang, X., & Zhang, Y. (2025) · Science Advances · doi:10.1126/sciadv.adt5369 · Cited by 58
Global-scale prevalence of low nutrient use efficiency across major crops
Liu, J., Wang, H., Peñuelas, J., Mou, J., Delgado‐Baquerizo, M., Sardans, J., Coello, F., Quan, Z., Qiu, T., Li, Y., et al. (2025) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-025-66019-w · Cited by 58
Budgeting nitrogen flows and the food nitrogen footprint of Egypt during the past half century: Challenges and opportunities
Elrys, A. S., Raza, S., Abdo, A. I., Liu, Z., Chen, Z., & Zhou, J. (2019) · Environment International · doi:10.1016/j.envint.2019.06.005 · Cited by 53
Multifunctional Urea Cocrystal with Combined Ureolysis and Nitrification Inhibiting Capabilities for Enhanced Nitrogen Management
Mazzei, L., Broll, V., Casali, L., Silva, M., Braga, D., Grepioni, F., Baltrušaitis, J., & Ciurli, S. (2019) · ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering · doi:10.1021/acssuschemeng.9b02607 · Cited by 53
Are We Getting Better in Using Nitrogen?: Variations in Nitrogen Use Efficiency of Two Cereal Crops Across the United States
Lü, C., Zhang, J., Cao, P., & Hatfield, J. L. (2019) · Earth s Future · doi:10.1029/2019ef001155 · Cited by 54
Agricultural Nitrogen Pollution of Freshwater in Germany. The Governance of Sustaining a Complex Problem
Kirschke, S., Häger, A., Kirschke, D., & Völker, J. (2019) · Water · doi:10.3390/w11122450 · Cited by 53
Benchmarking impact of nitrogen inputs on grain yield and environmental performance of producer fields in the western US Corn Belt
Tenorio, F. A., McLellan, E. L., Eagle, A. J., Cassman, K. G., Andersen, D., Krausnick, M., Oaklund, R., Thorburn, J., & Grassini, P. (2020) · Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment · doi:10.1016/j.agee.2020.106865 · Cited by 54
Transforming Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and Multispectral Sensor into a Practical Decision Support System for Precision Nitrogen Management in Corn
Thompson, L., & Puntel, L. A. (2020) · Remote Sensing · doi:10.3390/rs12101597 · Cited by 60
Mapping multiple water pollutants across China using the grey water footprint
Feng, H., Sun, F., Liu, Y., Zeng, P., Deng, L., & Che, Y. (2021) · The Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147255 · Cited by 52
Nitrogen fertilization modulates beneficial rhizosphere interactions through signaling effect of nitric oxide
Kang, A., Zhang, N., Xun, W., Dong, X., Xiao, M., Liu, Z., Xu, Z., Feng, H., Zou, J., Shen, Q., et al. (2021) · PLANT PHYSIOLOGY · doi:10.1093/plphys/kiab555 · Cited by 53
Genome-wide association study and transcriptome analysis reveal new QTL and candidate genes for nitrogen‐deficiency tolerance in rice
Li, Q., Lu, X., Wang, C., Shen, L., Dai, L., He, J., Yang, L., Li, P., Hong, Y., Zhang, Q., et al. (2022) · The Crop Journal · doi:10.1016/j.cj.2021.12.006 · Cited by 53
Ensuring water security, food security, and clean water in the North China Plain – conflicting strategies
Wang, S., Hu, Y., Yuan, R., Feng, W., Pan, Y., & Yang, Y. (2019) · Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability · doi:10.1016/j.cosust.2019.09.008 · Cited by 52
Split application of stabilized ammonium nitrate improved potato yield and nitrogen-use efficiency with reduced application rate in tropical sandy soils
de Souza, E. D. F. C., Soratto, R. P., Sandaña, P., Venterea, R. T., & Rosen, C. J. (2020) · Field Crops Research · doi:10.1016/j.fcr.2020.107847 · Cited by 52
Economic Optimal Nitrogen Rate Variability of Maize in Response to Soil and Weather Conditions: Implications for Site-Specific Nitrogen Management
Wang, X., Miao, Y., Dong, R., Chen, Z., Kuśnierek, K., Mi, G., & MULLA, D. J. (2020) · Agronomy · doi:10.3390/agronomy10091237 · Cited by 52
Reforming smallholder farms to mitigate agricultural pollution
Yu, Y., Hu, Y. H., Gu, B., Reis, S., & Yang, L. (2021) · Environmental Science and Pollution Research · doi:10.1007/s11356-021-16610-7 · Cited by 52
Agronomic analysis of nitrogen performance indicators in intensive arable cropping systems: An appraisal of big data from commercial farms
Silva, ‪. V., van Ittersum, M. K., ten Berge, H. F. M., Spätjens, L., Tenreiro, T. R., Anten, N. P. R., & Reidsma, P. (2021) · Field Crops Research · doi:10.1016/j.fcr.2021.108176 · Cited by 51
Restoring small water bodies to improve lake and river water quality in China
Shen, W., Zhang, L., Ury, E. A., Li, S., Xia, B., & Basu, N. B. (2025) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-024-55714-9 · Cited by 51
3D N-heterocyclic covalent organic frameworks for urea photosynthesis from NH3 and CO2
Li, N., Zhang, J., Xie, X., Wang, K., Qi, D., Liu, J., Lan, Y., & Jiang, J. (2025) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-025-56307-w · Cited by 51
Cleaning up nitrogen pollution may reduce future carbon sinks
Gu, B., Ju, X., Wu, Y., Erisman, J. W., Bleeker, A., Reis, S., Sutton, M. A., Lam, S. K., Smith, P., Oenema, O., et al. (2017) · Global Environmental Change · doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2017.10.007 · Cited by 50
New problems of food security in Northwest China: A sustainability perspective
Xian, L., Shi, L., Qian, H., Sun, S., Wu, P., Zhao, X., Engel, B. A., & Wang, Y. (2019) · Land Degradation and Development · doi:10.1002/ldr.3498 · Cited by 51
The increasing global environmental consequences of a weakening US–China crop trade relationship
Yao, G.-L., Zhang, X., Davidson, E., & Taheripour, F. (2021) · Nature Food · doi:10.1038/s43016-021-00338-1 · Cited by 44
Improving Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Aerobic Rice Based on Insights Into the Ecophysiology of Archaeal and Bacterial Ammonia Oxidizers
Farooq, M. S., Uzair, M., Maqbool, Z., Fiaz, S., Yousuf, M. J., Yang, S. H., & Khan, M. R. (2022) · Frontiers in Plant Science · doi:10.3389/fpls.2022.913204 · Cited by 50
Interaction of Biochar with Chemical, Green and Biological Nitrogen Fertilizers on Nitrogen Use Efficiency Indices
Ghorbani, M., Konvalina, P., Neugschwandtner, R. W., Kopecký, M., Amirahmadi, E., Bucur, D., & Walkiewicz, A. (2022) · Agronomy · doi:10.3390/agronomy12092106 · Cited by 50
Modeling global oceanic nitrogen deposition from food systems and its mitigation potential by reducing overuse of fertilizers
Liu, L., Xu, W. H., Wen, Z. Y., Liu, P., Xu, H., Liu, S., Lu, X., Zhong, B., Guo, Y., Lu, X. H., et al. (2023) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.2221459120 · Cited by 50
Soil carbon accrual and crop production enhanced by sustainable subsoil management
Kan, Z., Li, Z., Amelung, W., Zhang, H., Lal, R., Bol, R., Bian, X., Liu, J., Xue, Y., Li, F., et al. (2025) · Nature Geoscience · doi:10.1038/s41561-025-01720-5 · Cited by 59
Dynamic Model Improves Agronomic and Environmental Outcomes for Maize Nitrogen Management over Static Approach
Sela, S., van Es, H. M., Moebius‐Clune, B. N., Marjerison, R. D., Moebius-Clune, D. J., Schindelbeck, R. R., Severson, K., & Young, E. O. (2017) · Journal of Environmental Quality · doi:10.2134/jeq2016.05.0182 · Cited by 54
Trade-Offs between Nutrient Circularity and Environmental Impacts in the Management of Organic Waste
Cobo, S., Domínguez-Ramos, A., & Irabien, Á. (2018) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/acs.est.8b01590 · Cited by 50
Bioponic system for nitrogen and phosphorus recovery from chicken manure: Evaluation of manure loading and microbial communities
Wongkiew, S., Koottatep, T., Polprasert, C., Prombutara, P., Jinsart, W., & Khanal, S. K. (2021) · Waste Management · doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2021.02.014 · Cited by 50
Comprehensive quantification of global cropland ammonia emissions and potential abatement
Yang, Y., Liu, L., Bai, Z., Xu, W. H., Zhang, F., Zhang, X., Liu, X., & Xie, Y. (2021) · The Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151450 · Cited by 49
Ultrasonic-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of RhCu alloy nanospheres for electrocatalytic urea production
Fu, S., Chu, K., Guo, M., Wu, Z., Wang, Y., Yang, J., Lai, F., & Liu, T. X. (2023) · Chemical Communications · doi:10.1039/d3cc00102d · Cited by 49
Size and temperature drive nutrient retention potential across water bodies in China
Shen, W., Li, S., Basu, N. B., Ury, E. A., Jing, Q., & Zhang, L. (2023) · Water Research · doi:10.1016/j.watres.2023.120054 · Cited by 49
Light-driven biohybrid system utilizes N2 for photochemical CO2 reduction
Zeng, J., Wang, X., Liu, X., Li, Q., Feng, J., & Zhang, X. (2023) · National Science Review · doi:10.1093/nsr/nwad142 · Cited by 48
Carbon offset potential of biochar based straw management under rice- wheat system along Indo-Gangetic Plains of India
Singh, S. V., Chaturvedi, S., Nayak, P., Dhyani, V. C., Nandipamu, T. M. K., Singh, D. K., Gudapaty, P., Prabhakar, M., Srinivasrao, K., & Govindaraju, K. (2023) · The Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165176 · Cited by 51
Nitrogen management during decarbonization
Zhang, X., Sabo, R. D., Rosa, L., Niazi, H., Kyle, P. G., Byun, J. S., Wang, Y., Yan, X., Gu, B., & Davidson, E. A. (2024) · Nature Reviews Earth & Environment · doi:10.1038/s43017-024-00586-2 · Cited by 52
Auxin, Cytokinin, and Ethylene Involved in Rice N Availability Improvement Caused by Endophyte Phomopsis liquidambari
Li, X., Zhou, J., Xu, R.-S., Meng, M.-Y., Xiao, Y., & Dai, C. (2017) · Journal of Plant Growth Regulation · doi:10.1007/s00344-017-9712-8 · Cited by 49
Costs management in maize and soybean production
Artuzo, F. D., Foguesatto, C. R., de Souza, Â. R. L., & da Silva, L. X. (2018) · Review of Business Management · doi:10.7819/rbgn.v20i2.3192 · Cited by 49
Agronomic and physiological performance of indica/japonica hybrid rice cultivar under low nitrogen conditions
Chu, G., Chen, S., Xu, C., Wang, D., & Zhang, X. (2019) · Field Crops Research · doi:10.1016/j.fcr.2019.107625 · Cited by 49
Spray-dried potassium nitrate-containing chitosan/montmorillonite microparticles as potential enhanced efficiency fertilizer
Messa, L. L., Souza, C. F., & Faez, R. (2019) · Polymer Testing · doi:10.1016/j.polymertesting.2019.106196 · Cited by 49
Release of tartrate as a major carboxylate by alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) under phosphorus deficiency and the effect of soil nitrogen supply
He, H., Wu, M., Guo, L., Fan, C., Zhang, Z., Su, R., Peng, Q., Pang, J., & Lambers, H. (2020) · Plant and Soil · doi:10.1007/s11104-020-04481-9 · Cited by 49
Strategies to mitigate nitrate leaching in vegetable production in China: a meta-analysis
Bai, X., Zhang, Z., Cui, J., Liu, Z., Chen, Z., & Zhou, J. (2020) · Environmental Science and Pollution Research · doi:10.1007/s11356-020-08322-1 · Cited by 49
Optimizing water and nitrogen managements for potato production in the agro-pastoral ecotone in North China
Tang, J., Xiao, D., Wang, J., Fang, Q., Zhang, J., & Bai, H. (2021) · Agricultural Water Management · doi:10.1016/j.agwat.2021.106945 · Cited by 49
Impact of a transformation from flood to drip irrigation on groundwater recharge and nitrogen leaching under variable climatic conditions
Pool, S., Francés, F., García-Prats, A., Puertes, C., Pulido-Velázquez, M., Ibor, C. S., Schirmer, M., Yang, H., & Jiménez‐Martínez, J. (2022) · The Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153805 · Cited by 48
Microbiome Research as an Effective Driver of Success Stories in Agrifood Systems – A Selection of Case Studies
Olmo, R., Wetzels, S. U., Armanhi, J. S. L., Arruda, P., Berg, G., Cernava, T., Cotter, P. D., Araujo, S. C., de Souza, R. S. C., Ferrocino, I., et al. (2022) · Frontiers in Microbiology · doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.834622 · Cited by 50
Grain yield, nitrogen use efficiency and physiological performance of indica/japonica hybrid rice in response to various nitrogen rates
Zhou, Q., Rui, Y. U. A. N., Zhang, W., Gu, J., Liu, L., Zhang, H., Wang, Z., & Yang, J. (2022) · Journal of Integrative Agriculture · doi:10.1016/j.jia.2022.08.076 · Cited by 48
A high-energy aqueous Zn‖NO 2 electrochemical cell: a new strategy for NO 2 fixation and electric power generation
Ma, L., Chen, S., Yan, W., Zhang, G., Ying, Y., Huang, H., Ho, D. L., Huang, W., & Zhi, C. (2023) · Energy & Environmental Science · doi:10.1039/d2ee03749a · Cited by 48
Effects of intercropping on soil greenhouse gas emissions - A global meta-analysis
Gui, D., Zhang, Y., Lv, J., Guo, J., & Sha, Z. (2024) · The Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170632 · Cited by 48
Optimized nitrogen fertilizer application improves yield, water and nitrogen use efficiencies of winter rapeseed cultivated under continuous ridges with film mulching
Gu, X., Li, Y., & Du, Y. (2017) · Industrial Crops and Products · doi:10.1016/j.indcrop.2017.08.036 · Cited by 48
Yield and nitrogen uptake of sole and intercropped maize and peanut in response to N fertilizer input
Gao, H., Meng, W., Zhang, C., van der Werf, W., Zhang, Z., Wan, S., & Zhang, F. S. (2019) · Food and Energy Security · doi:10.1002/fes3.187 · Cited by 48
Effects of organic amendment applications on nitrogen and phosphorus losses from sloping cropland in the upper Yangtze River
Bah, H., Zhou, M., Ren, X. S., Hu, L., Dong, Z., & Zhu, B. (2020) · Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment · doi:10.1016/j.agee.2020.107086 · Cited by 48
Nano-soy-protein microcapsule-enabled self-healing biopolyurethane-coated controlled-release fertilizer: preparation, performance, and mechanism
Yu, Z. W., Yang, Y., Wang, C., Shi, G., Xie, J., Gao, B., Li, Y. C., Wan, Y., Cheng, D., Shen, T., et al. (2021) · Materials Today Chemistry · doi:10.1016/j.mtchem.2020.100413 · Cited by 48
Corn Nitrogen Nutrition Index Prediction Improved by Integrating Genetic, Environmental, and Management Factors with Active Canopy Sensing Using Machine Learning
Li, D., Miao, Y., Ransom, C. J., Bean, G. M., Kitchen, N. R., Fernández, F. G., Sawyer, J. E., Camberato, J. J., Carter, P. R., Ferguson, R. B., et al. (2022) · Remote Sensing · doi:10.3390/rs14020394 · Cited by 48
Editorial note on terms for soil analyses, nutrient content of fertilizers and Nitrogen Use Efficiency
Thompson, R. B. (2023) · Agricultural Water Management · doi:10.1016/j.agwat.2023.108547 · Cited by 48
Interactions Between Exogenous Cytokinin and Nitrogen Application Regulate Tiller Bud Growth via Sucrose and Nitrogen Allocation in Winter Wheat
Yang, D., Luo, Y., Kong, X., Huang, C., & Wang, Z. (2020) · Journal of Plant Growth Regulation · doi:10.1007/s00344-020-10106-3 · Cited by 47
Agro-ecology science relates to economic development but not global pesticide pollution
Wyckhuys, K. A. G., Zou, Y., Wanger, T. C., Zhou, W., Yubak Dhoj, G. C., & Lu, Y. (2022) · Journal of Environmental Management · doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.114529 · Cited by 46
Arginine Increases Tolerance to Nitrogen Deficiency in Malus hupehensis via Alterations in Photosynthetic Capacity and Amino Acids Metabolism
Chen, Q., Wang, Y., Zhang, Z., Liu, X., Li, C., & Ma, F. (2022) · Frontiers in Plant Science · doi:10.3389/fpls.2021.772086 · Cited by 47
Mitigation of nitrogen losses and greenhouse gas emissions in a more circular cropping-poultry production system
He, Z., Zhang, Y., Liu, X., VRIES, W. D., Ros, G. H., Oenema, O., Xu, W. H., Hou, Y., Wang, H., & Zhang, F. S. (2022) · Resources Conservation and Recycling · doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2022.106739 · Cited by 47
Progress of electrochemical synthesis of nitric acid: catalyst design, mechanistic insights, protocol and challenges
Adalder, A., Paul, S., & Ghorai, U. K. (2023) · Journal of Materials Chemistry A · doi:10.1039/d2ta08928a · Cited by 47
Effects of Nitrogen on Photosynthetic Productivity and Yield Quality of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
Noor, H., Yan, Z., Sun, P., Zhang, L., Ding, P., Li, L., Ren, A., Sun, M., & Gao, Z. (2023) · Agronomy · doi:10.3390/agronomy13061448 · Cited by 47
Water pollution scenarios and response options for China
Feng, H., Schyns, J. F., Krol, M. S., Yang, M., Su, H., Liu, Y., Lv, Y., Zhang, X., Yang, K., & Che, Y. (2024) · The Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169807 · Cited by 46
Elucidating Relay Catalysis on Copper Clusters With Satellite Single Atoms for Enhanced Urea Electrosynthesis
Ma, X., Mao, B., Yu, Z., Wang, D., Xia, J., Hou, J., Meng, X., Lin, H., & Hu, C. (2025) · Angewandte Chemie International Edition · doi:10.1002/anie.202423706 · Cited by 47
Nitrogen: the historical progression from ignorance to knowledge, with a view to future solutions
Galloway, J. N., Leach, A. M., Erisman, J. W., & Bleeker, A. (2017) · Soil Research · doi:10.1071/sr16334 · Cited by 47
Mesoporous ZnAl2Si10O24 nanofertilizers enable high yield of Oryza sativa L.
Naseem, F., Zhi, Y., Farrukh, M. A., Hussain, F. A., & Yin, Z. (2020) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-020-67611-4 · Cited by 47
The potential of green ammonia for agricultural and economic development in Sierra Leone
Smith, C. S., & Torrente‐Murciano, L. (2021) · One Earth · doi:10.1016/j.oneear.2020.12.015 · Cited by 47
Bibliometric Analysis of Soil Nutrient Research between 1992 and 2020
Pan, X., Lv, J., Dyck, M. F., & He, H. (2021) · Agriculture · doi:10.3390/agriculture11030223 · Cited by 46
Phosphorus use efficiency and crop production: Patterns of regional variation in the United States, 1987–2012
Swaney, D. P., & Howarth, R. W. (2019) · The Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.05.228 · Cited by 47
Disparate history of transgressing planetary boundaries for nutrients
Sandström, V., Kaseva, J., Porkka, M., Kuisma, M., Sakieh, Y., & Kahiluoto, H. (2022) · Global Environmental Change · doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2022.102628 · Cited by 60
The optimum nitrogen fertilizer rate for maize in the US Midwest is increasing
Baum, M. E., Sawyer, J. E., Nafziger, E. D., Castellano, M. J., McDaniel, M. D., Licht, M. A., Hayes, D. J., Helmers, M. J., & Archontoulis, S. V. (2025) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-024-55314-7 · Cited by 51
Reactive nitrogen losses via denitrification assessed in saturated agricultural soils
Castaldelli, G., Colombani, N., Soana, E., Vincenzi, F., Fano, E. A., & Mastrocicco, M. (2018) · Geoderma · doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2018.09.018 · Cited by 45
Improving N2O emission estimates with the global N2O database
Dorich, C. D., Conant, R. T., Albanito, F., Butterbach‐Bahl, K., Grace, P., Scheer, C., Snow, V. O., Vogeler, I., & van der Weerden, T. J. (2020) · Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability · doi:10.1016/j.cosust.2020.04.006 · Cited by 46
A Pathway to Carbon Neutral Agriculture in Denmark
Searchinger, T. D., Zionts, J., Wirsenius, S., Peng, L., Beringer, T., & Dumas, P. (2021) · doi:10.46830/wrirpt.20.00006 · Cited by 47
Aerated irrigation offsets the negative effects of nitrogen reduction on crop growth and water-nitrogen utilization
Zhang, Q., Du, Y., Cui, B., Sun, J., Wang, J., Wu, M., & Niu, W. (2021) · Journal of Cleaner Production · doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.127917 · Cited by 46
Periphytic biofilms-mediated microbial interactions and their impact on the nitrogen cycle in rice paddies
Chen, Z., Dolfing, J., Zhuang, S., & Wu, Y. (2022) · Eco-Environment & Health · doi:10.1016/j.eehl.2022.09.004 · Cited by 45
Long-term no-till increases soil nitrogen mineralization but does not affect optimal corn nitrogen fertilization practices relative to inversion tillage
Canisares, L. P., Grove, J. H., Miguez, F. E., & Poffenbarger, H. (2021) · Soil and Tillage Research · doi:10.1016/j.still.2021.105080 · Cited by 48
Quantify the effect of manure fertilizer addition and optimal nitrogen input on rainfed wheat yield and nitrogen requirement using nitrogen nutrition index
Liu, P., Guo, X., Zhou, D., Zhang, Q., Ren, X., Wang, R., Wang, X., Chen, X., & Li, J. (2022) · Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment · doi:10.1016/j.agee.2022.108319 · Cited by 45

Authors: Zhang, X., Davidson, E. A., Mauzerall, D. L., Searchinger, T. D., Dumas, P., & Shen, Y.
Affiliations: Princeton University (US)
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (US)
Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (FR)
Corresponding author: Zhang, Xin
Davidson, Eric A.
ORCID: Zhang, Xin
Davidson, Eric A.
Mauzerall, Denise L.
Searchinger, Timothy D.
Dumas, Patrice
Venue: Nature
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published: 2015-11-23
Volume: 528
Issue: 7580
Pages: 51-59
ISSN: 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
1476-4687
DOI: 10.1038/nature15743
OpenAlex: W2190546151
Cited by: 3,054
References: 89
Citations by year: 2026: 488 · 2025: 486 · 2024: 413 · 2023: 352 · 2022: 370 · 2021: 308 · 2020: 238 · 2019: 159 · 2018: 114 · 2017: 95 · 2016: 29
FWCI: 71.79
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: green
enpc.hal.science
Licence: other-oa
www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
Locations: Nature (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
HAL (submittedVersion, other-oa)
RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Agritrop (Cirad) (submittedVersion)
Topics: Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact
Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Agricultural Science and Fertilization
Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
Keywords: sustainable development, food security, environmental degradation, climate change, agricultural development, nitrogen pollution, Sustainable Development Goals, socioeconomic factors, technological innovation, nitrogen management
MeSH terms: Agriculture, Conservation of Natural Resources, Ecology, Environmental Pollution, Fertilizers, Food Supply, Humans, Nitrogen, Crops, Agricultural, Internationality, Climate Change, Gross Domestic Product

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review

Managing nitrogen for sustainable development.

Abstract

Overview

Integrity signals

Verification

Claims the paper makes

Self-check

Citations

Cites

Cited by

Related

Metadata

Record

About these checks