Global Soil Nutrient Depletion and Yield Reduction

Nutrient depletion in soils adversely affects soil quality and reduces crop yield and consequently poses a potential threat to global food security and agricultural sustainability. With an emphasis on human-induced nutrient depletion, this paper described the causality among soil nutrient depletion, soil quality, crop production, socio-economic variables, and environmental condition. Then, global soil nutrient budgets of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) were estimated for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), rice (Oryza sativa), maize (Zea mays L.), and barley (Hordeum vulgare) production for the year 2000. As a result, there were unbalanced fertilization with surplus N in some developing countries and insufficient inputs in many developing and all least developed countries. Globally, soil nutrient deficits were estimated at an average rate (kg ha 1 yr 1) of 18.7 N, 5.1 P, and 38.8 K, covering 59%, 85%, and 90% of harvested area in the year 2000, respectively, and annual total nutrient deficit was 5.5 Tg (1 Tg = 1012 g) N, 2.3 Tg P, and 12.2 Tg K, coupled with a total potential global production loss of 1,136 Tg yr 1. Besides socio-economic factors, the soil nutrient depletion can Z. X. Tan and R. Lal are affiliated with the Carbon Management and Sequestration Center and the School of Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210. K. D. Wiebe is affiliated with the USDA Economic Research Service, Washington, DC 20036. Address correspondence to: Z. X. Tan (E-mail: [email protected]). The views expressed here are those of the authors, and may not be attributed to the Economic Research Service or the US Department of Agriculture. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture, Vol. 26(1) 2005 Available online at http://www.haworthpress.com/web/JSA  2005 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved. Digital Object Identifier: 10.1300/J064v26n01_10 123 be attributed to insufficient fertilizer use, unbalanced fertilization, and nutrient depletion-induced soil fertility problems. Soil fertility problems associated with human-induced nutrient depletion are widespread worldwide. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: Website:  2005 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.]