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Effects of Farmer Response to Nitrogen Fertilizer Management Practices on Groundwater Quality
Author(s) -
Kim C. S.,
Sandretto Carmen,
Hostetler John
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/96wr00491
Subject(s) - fertilizer , environmental science , nitrogen , nitrate , irrigation , groundwater , nitrogen fertilizer , water quality , agronomy , agricultural engineering , engineering , ecology , chemistry , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , biology
This research investigates the validity of efforts to protect groundwater quality for a variety of beneficial uses by using a widely accepted nitrate‐accounting procedure as the mechanism to obtain reductions in farmer‐applied nitrogen fertilizers. A dynamic model of nitrogen fertilizer use, incorporating critical elements of the nutrient cycle, is employed to demonstrate that recommended nitrogen fertilizer application rates based on this nitrate‐accounting procedure underestimate nitrogen fertilizer use. These results occur because the nitrate‐accounting procedure inadequately represents farmer responses to nitrates available from irrigation water. An optimal tax rate on nitrogen fertilizer use is derived which, if implemented, would lead to the reduced levels of nitrogen fertilizer use intended by the nitrate accounting procedure.