Nitrogen Assessment: Pakistan as a Case-Study

Nitrogen Assessment: Pakistan as a Case-Study provides a detailed overview of issues and challenges related to nitrogen use and overuse, thus serving as a reference for researchers in Pakistan and providing important insights for other geographic regions. Excess and inefficient nitrogen use in crops and livestock sectors is polluting our rivers, seas, atmosphere, and ecosystems, contributing to climate change, hampering biodiversity, and contributing to stratospheric ozone depletion. This book covers the importance of nitrogen in relation to food security, human health, and economic stability in South Asia. It also discusses nitrogen status, sources, sinks, and drivers of nitrogen use in Pakistan, focusing on current nitrogen measures and policies.

Nitrogen pollution is one of the biggest challenges of 21st Century, and the international scientific community is beginning to recognize the significance of nitrogen pollution and to explore how to combat it. The editors’ institution, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, partners with South Asia Nitrogen Hub, which includes about 30 organizations from South Asia and UK working on nitrogen assessment, budgeting, awareness, and policy guidance, as well as possible measures to reduce nitrogen pollution.

Nitrogen Assessment: Pakistan as a Case-Study provides an important guide to this work and is written in a way that is accessible to an audience with a wide range of experience from advanced students to seasoned researchers.

Dr. Tariq Aziz is an associate professor of soil science and the Principal of Sub Campus Depalpur Okara, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan. He also holds an honorary position of Adjunct Faculty at University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia. Dr Aziz received his Ph.D. from the University of Agriculture his post-doctorate from the School of Plant Biology at the University of Western Australia. His research interests focus on exploitation of genetic variability of agronomic crops against abiotic stresses, particularly nutrient deficiency stress and nutrient use efficiencies. He is a project lead partner of South Asia Nitrogen Hub, an internation project established in 2019. Dr. Aziz has won Best Research Paper Award twice from the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan and also won the Research Productivity Award from Pakistan Council of Science and Technology.

Dr. Abdul Wakeel received his PhD in plant nutrition from Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany, followed by 2 years of post-doctorate before joining the university. He focuses on soil fertility management and nutritional physiology of plants, and is working on biofortification and global health. He organized a workshop on biofortification of staple crops funded by the British Council and invited a number of researchers from the UK to highlight the research aspects in biofortification to secure global health. He edited a special issue of Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems targeting biofortification in developing countries. Dr. Wakeel represents Pakistan as Principle Investigator in the Global Challenges Research Fund's South Asian Nitrogen Hub, established to assess the reactive nitrogen losses and its management.

Dr. Muhammad Arif Watto received his Ph.D. degree from the School of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Western Australia (UWA), Perth, Australia under the UWA Ad Hoc University of Agriculture, Faisalabad Pakistan Programme and the Faculty Development Programme of the University of Agriculture. His major research interests focus on environmental extension, governance, and policy. He previously worked with the Hindu Kush Himalayan Monitoring and Assessment Programme (HIMAP) and currently working with FAO and ICIMOD on developing a policy brief on sustainable groundwater management. Dr Watto has also collaborated with ACIAR, Australia, Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Pakistan, and Swiss National Centre for Competence in Research for various agricultural and environmental projects. Dr. Watto is engaged in two GCRF-funded projects including “South Asia Nitrogen Hub Policy Arena.”

Dr. Sana Ullah holds a Ph. D. degree in soil fertility and biochemistry from the University of Paris VI, Paris, France and a post doctorate under the Alexander von Humboldt post-doc fellowship. He is an associate professor at the Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan. His research interests include soil fertility, biochemistry, and carbon and nitrogen dynamics under the changing climate. Dr. Ullah has published in international and national journals and is a team member of the South Asia Nitrogen Hub, project where he focuses on nitrogen emissions.

Dr. Muhammad Aamer Maqsood is an associate professor at the Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan. He specializes in soil fertility and plant nutrition. He received a Ph.D. in soil science from the Institute of University of Agriculture. He completed his post-doctorate at the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon , Canada, funded by the ADF and NSERC, Canada. Dr. Maqsood received the Research Productivity Award from the Pakistan Council for Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Pakistan in 2011 and 2012. He has successfully completed three research projects funded by national and international organizations and is working on experimental testing of genetic solution for improving NUE across South Asia under the South Asian Nitrogen Hub project.