Data from the Virtual Joint Centre for Improved Nitrogen Agronomy (CINAg)

Datasets within this series were derived from nitrogen addition experiments in 2016 and 2017 using inorganic and organic fertilizers, respectively, and from a UK-wide sampling campaign (9 sites). Data include yields, plant biomass productivity, herbage nitrogen content, nitrogen offtake, nitrogen use efficiency, ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions, soil properties (ammonium, nitrate, amino acids, peptides, mineralisable nitrogen, total and dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen, microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, texture, moisture, soil organic matter content, pH, electrical conductivity, soil base cations, total phosphorus, permanganate oxidisable carbon, citric acid extractable phosphorus, acetic acid extractable phosphorus, Olsen-P), DNA and nitrogen genes, microbial diversity indices, soil water infiltration and soil water release curves. Detailed descriptions of the experimental sites and treatments are included in the supporting information as well as the methods used.

With the CINAg project we propose to meet the needs of China and the UK to optimise farm practices and soil management to make more effective use of different nitrogen sources and reduce losses of reactive nitrogen to the environment, thus mitigating against environmental impacts associated with this loss.

The project objectives are to: 1) Develop novel indicators of N use efficiency (NUE) and to combine these with other new real-time physical and chemical metrics to obtain holistic metrics of soil health and quality which informs farm practices and soil management to deliver improved agronomic NUE and sustainable crop production; 2) Use these indicators and other emerging knowledge to test and develop on field experiments and farm platforms, farm systems that permit the sustainable intensification of agriculture; and 3) Translate these developments to Chinese farmers using the proven ‘Science and Technology Backyard’ programme developed by CAU and CAAS that is moving farmers out of poverty and enriching whole communities.