Intensive fertilizer use increases orchard N cycling and lowers net global warming potential
Authors: Sat Darshan, S. Khalsa, David R. Smart, Saiful Muhammada, Christine M. Armstrong, Blake L. Sandenc, Benjamin Z. Houlton, Patrick H. Brown
This study highlights the potential for high fertilizer use to lower global warming potential (GWP). GWP is a measure of how a certain gas in the atmosphere can absorb heat and it is important in understanding how different greenhouse gases contribute to global climate change. A lower GWP corresponds with a lower warming effect. This study illustrates that by increasing Nitrogen uptake by the soil, Carbon absorption in the soil increased. This means less carbon dioxide was left in the atmosphere to contribute to climate change.