National-scale nitrogen budgets reveal large inefficiencies in Indian agriculture
Abstract
India has pledged to halve nitrogen (N) waste by 2030, but a comprehensive system-scale budget is required to identify existing inefficiencies in agricultural N use. Here, we present an Environmentally Extended Input–Output model that leveraged data from literature and institutional repositories to quantify N inputs, flows, and losses across cropland, livestock, and aquaculture sectors. Estimated nitrogen use efficiency in 2020 varied for cropland (56%), aquaculture (20%), and livestock (8%). Only 50% of the applied agriculture N was converted to useful products (food, feed, fuel, non-food); while the rest was lost as Nr (17% NH₃, 16% runoff, 7% leaching, 5% NOx, 1.5% N2O). Quantified emission estimates have high uncertainties (
Fields of Study & Subjects
Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact
Phosphorus and nutrient management
Efficiency Analysis Using DEA
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Communications Earth & Environment
- Publisher
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC
- Volume
- 7
- Issue
- 1
- Publication date
- 22 May 2026
- Language
- EN