Achieving the sustainable development goals in agriculture: The crucial role of nitrogen in cereal-based systems

The crucial link between agricultural growth and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations Development Programme is established through efficient use of nitrogen in the cereal production systems. Nitrogen, mostly in its reactive form as fertilizer or synthetic N, governs the food production, and reconciles the productivity with economic and environmental considerations. However, N flows in the production system involves a large N leaking to the environment resulting in abysmally low nitrogen use efficiencies and environmental adversity. Agricultural system with sub-optimal N application is characterized with low crop productivity, spiraling into the vicious cycle of poverty, malnutrition and poor economy, a case most common in the sub-Saharan Africa. These essentially relate to SDG 1 (no-poverty), 2 (zero-hunger),…