Unlocking nitrogen management potential via large-scale farming for air quality and substantial co-benefits.

ABSTRACT: China's sustained air quality improvement is hindered by unregulated ammonia (NH₃) emissions from inefficient nitrogen management in smallholder farming. Although the Chinese government is promoting a policy shift to large-scale farming, the benefits of this, when integrated with nitrogen management, remain unclear. Here we fill this gap using an integrated assessment, by combining geostatistical analysis, high-resolution emission inventories, farm surveys and air quality modeling. Smallholder-dominated farming allows only 13%-31% NH₃ reduction, leading to limited PM_2.5 decreases nationally due to non-linear PM_2.5 chemistry. Conversely, large-scale farming would double nitrogen management adoption rates, increasing NH₃ reduction potent

SUBMITTER: Li B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11495489 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature