Nitrous oxide emission reductions from cutting excessive nitrogen fertilizer applications

摘要: Farmers may choose to apply nitrogen fertilizer at a rate that exceeds the average ex post agronomically optimal when yield response varies across growing seasons. Negative environmental consequences such as nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and/or water pollution can result all applied is not needed by crop. Here we consider nonlinear market instrument targeting farmers’ use, and solving for reduction using model of expected utility farm profits, evaluate induced N2O emission reductions are consistent with introduced. The because relationship between application rates. Our simulations show that, in cases where farmers N rates which exceed recommendations likely be non-linear, payments will induce participation program have significant impact on both actual without significantly harming or yields. Failure this nonlinearity would deviate attention away from it require large (and crop yields) achieve equivalent abatement.