Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 15, 2026
10:29
Calibrated Passive Sampling - Multi-plot Field Measurements of NH3 Emissions with a Combination of Dynamic Tube Method and Passive Samplers
Published on: March 21, 2016
Evaluating farm performance using agri-environmental indicators: recent experiences for nitrogen management in The
J W A Langeveld1, A Verhagen, J J Neeteson
1Plant Research International, Wageningen University and Research Centre, PO Box 16, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands. hans.langeveld@wur.nl
Journal of Environmental Management
|November 10, 2006
Summary
Agri-environmental indicators (AEIs) help assess sustainable farming practices by measuring environmental and agronomic performance. While valuable for project design and evaluation, AEIs require careful, integrated application due to their inherent simplifications of complex agricultural systems.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Environmental Science
- Agronomy
Background:
- Intensive agriculture poses significant environmental challenges.
- Assessing sustainable farming requires evaluating both agronomic and environmental performance.
- Existing guidelines for Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) offer limited insight into environmental impacts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discuss the application of four agri-environmental indicators (AEIs) for nitrogen (N) management in Dutch research projects.
- To evaluate the effectiveness and limitations of AEIs in assessing sustainable agricultural systems.
- To provide insights for improving the use of AEIs in research, legislation, and farming practice.
Main Methods:
- Application of four AEIs: Nitrogen Surplus, Groundwater Nitrate Concentration, Residual Mineral Soil Nitrogen, and Nitrogen Use Efficiency.
- Analysis of AEI use in three Dutch research projects: 'De Marke', 'Cows and Opportunities', and 'Farming with a future'.
- Evaluation of AEI characteristics: quantifiability, scientific soundness, relevance, interpretability, cost-effectiveness, and scalability.
Main Results:
- AEIs facilitated goal definition, system design, performance evaluation, and communication in N management projects.
- Nitrogen Surplus is easily interpretable but lacks scientific rigor; Groundwater Nitrate Concentration is labor-intensive and expensive.
- Residual Mineral Soil Nitrogen is cost-effective but difficult to scale; Nitrogen Use Efficiency is sensitive to management changes.
Conclusions:
- AEIs have proven valuable in the design, implementation, and testing of farming systems.
- Integrated application of AEIs at appropriate scales, considering soil heterogeneity and management linkages, is crucial.
- Simple AEIs should be supported by other indicators or models for robust environmental assessment.
Related Concept Videos
01:49The Nitrogen Cycle
Nitrogen atoms, present in all proteins and DNA, are recycled between abiotic and biotic components of the ecosystem. However, the primary form of nitrogen on Earth is nitrogen gas, which cannot be used by most animals and plants. Thus, nitrogen gas must first be converted into a usable form by nitrogen-fixing bacteria before it can be cycled through other living organisms. The use of nitrogen-containing fertilizers and animal waste products in human agriculture has greatly influenced the...
02:35Key Elements for Plant Nutrition
Like all living organisms, plants require organic and inorganic nutrients to survive, reproduce, grow and maintain homeostasis. To identify nutrients that are essential for plant functioning, researchers have leveraged a technique called hydroponics. In hydroponic culture systems, plants are grown—without soil—in water-based solutions containing nutrients. At least 17 nutrients have been identified as essential elements required by plants. Plants acquire these elements from the atmosphere, the...
01:20Overview of Nitrogen Metabolism
Nitrogen is a very important element for life because it is a major constituent of proteins and nucleic acids. It is a macronutrient, and in nature, it is recycled from organic compounds and stored in the form of ammonia, ammonium ions, nitrate, nitrite, or nitrogen gas by many metabolic processes. Many of these metabolic processes are carried out only by prokaryotes.
The largest pool of nitrogen available in the terrestrial ecosystem is gaseous nitrogen (N2) from the air, but this nitrogen...
The largest pool of nitrogen available in the terrestrial ecosystem is gaseous nitrogen (N2) from the air, but this nitrogen...
01:27Microorganisms in Agriculture and Food industry
Microorganisms play a crucial role in agriculture and the food industry, contributing to soil fertility, crop protection, and food production. Their functions range from nitrogen fixation and biopesticide production to fermentation and food preservation, making them indispensable to sustainable farming and food safety.Role in AgricultureNitrogen-fixing bacteria, such as Rhizobium (symbiotic) and Azotobacter (free-living), convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia through biological nitrogen...
01:22Inorganic Nitrogen Assimilation
Nitrogen is an essential element in biological systems, forming a crucial component of proteins, nucleic acids, and other cellular constituents. Many bacteria and archaea acquire nitrogen in the form of nitrate (NO₃⁻) or ammonia (NH₃), which are then assimilated into biomolecules through specific enzymatic pathways.Assimilatory Nitrate ReductionWhen nitrate enters the cell, it undergoes a two-step reduction process known as assimilatory nitrate reduction. Initially, the enzyme nitrate reductase...