World consumption of fertilizer-N, 1996

82,906,340

1

Cereal consumption of fertilizer-N (60% of total applied)

2

0.60 * 82,906,340 = 49,743,804 t in cereals

49,743,804

World cereal production, 1996

Wheat

586,960,900

1

Corn

590,417,900

1

Rice

569,683,000

1

Barley

156,148,100

1

Sorghum

70,667,040

1

Millet

28,857,320

1

Oats

30,881,440

1

Rye

23,022,100

1

Total cereal production

2,056,637,800

World cereal grain N removal (production * %N), 1996

Wheat

21.3

12,502,267

3-1, 4

Corn

12.6

7,439,266

3-2, 4

Rice

12.3

7,007,101

3-3, 4

Barley

20.2

3,154,192

3-4, 4

Sorghum

19.2

1,356,807

3-5, 4

Millet

20.1

580,032

3-6, 4

Oats

19.3

596,012

3-7, 4

Rye

22.1

508,788

3-8, 4

Total N removed in cereals

33,144,465

N removed in cereals coming from the soil and that deposited in rainfall (50% of total)

16,572,232

5

Estimated NUE = ((total N removed in cereals - N coming from the soil)/total N applied)*100

33%

N fertilizer savings per year for each 1% increase in NUE (same yield)

489,892 t

Value of fertilizer savings using $479/t of
actual N

$234,658,462

1 - FAO, 1996
2 - FAO, 1995
3 - Dale, 1997
3-1, average of hard and soft wheat grain; 3-2, corn yellow grain; 3-3, rice grain, rough; 3-4, barley grain; 3-5 sorghum, milo, grain; 3-6, millet, grain, 3-7, oats grain, 3-8, rye grain;
4 - Tkachuk, 1977, to determine %N, crude protein was divided by 5.7, for wheat, barley, sorghum, millet, oats and rye, 6.25 for corn and 5.95 for rice (%N * 10 = g kg^-1)
5 - Keeney, 1982