Caribbean small states | Fertilizer consumption (kilograms per hectare of arable land)

Fertilizer consumption measures the quantity of plant nutrients used per unit of arable land. Fertilizer products cover nitrogenous, potash, and phosphate fertilizers (including ground rock phosphate). Traditional nutrients--animal and plant manures--are not included. For the purpose of data dissemination, FAO has adopted the concept of a calendar year (January to December). Some countries compile fertilizer data on a calendar year basis, while others are on a split-year basis. Arable land includes land defined by the FAO as land under temporary crops (double-cropped areas are counted once), temporary meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow. Land abandoned as a result of shifting cultivation is excluded. Development relevance: Factors such as the green revolution, has led to impressive progress in increasing crop yields over the last few decades. This progress, however, is not equal across all regions. Continued progress depends on maintaining agricultural research and education. The cultivation of cereals varies widely in different countries and depends partly upon the development of the economy. Production depends on the nature of the soil, the amount of rainfall, irrigation, quality od seeds, and the techniques applied to promote growth. Agriculture is still a major sector in many economies, and agricultural activities provide developing countries with food and revenue. But agricultural activities also can degrade natural resources. Poor farming practices can cause soil erosion and loss of soil fertility. Efforts to increase productivity by using chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and intensive irrigation have environmental costs and health impacts. Salinization of irrigated land diminishes soil fertility. Thus, inappropriate use of inputs for agricultural production has far-reaching effects. In many developed countries, excessive nitrogen fertilizer applications have sometime lead to pest problems by increasing the birth rate, longevity and overall fitness of certain agricultural pests, such as aphids. Further, excessive use of fertilizers emits significant quantities of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. Over-fertilization of a vital nutrient can be detrimental, as "fertilizer burn" can occur when too much fertilizer is applied, resulting in drying out of the leaves and damage or even death of the plant. In many industrialized countries, overuse of fertilizers has resulted in contamination of surface water and groundwater. There is no single correct mix of inputs to the agricultural land, as it is dependent on local climate, land quality, and economic development; appropriate levels and application rates vary by country and over time and depend on the type of crops, the climate and soils, and the production process used. Limitations and exceptions: The FAO has revised the time series for fertilizer consumption and irrigation for 2002 onward. FAO collects fertilizer statistics for production, imports, exports, and consumption through the new FAO fertilizer resources questionnaire. In the previous release, the data were based on total consumption of fertilizers, but the data in the recent release are based on the nutrients in fertilizers. Some countries compile fertilizer data on a calendar year basis, while others compile on a crop year basis (July-June). Previous editions of this indicator, Fertilizer consumption (100 grams per hectare of arable land), reported data on a crop year basis, but this edition uses the calendar year, as adopted by the FAO. Caution should thus be used when comparing data over time. The data are collected by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) through annual questionnaires. The FAO tries to impose standard definitions and reporting methods, but complete consistency across countries and over time is not possible. The secondary sources cover official country data from websites of national ministries, national publications and related country data reported by various international organizations. Statistical concept and methodology: Fertilizer consumption measures the quantity of plant nutrients, and is calculated as production plus imports minus exports. Because some chemical compounds used for fertilizers have other industrial applications, the consumption data may overstate the quantity available for crops. Fertilizer consumption as a share of production shows the agriculture sector's vulnerability to import and energy price fluctuation. Most fertilizers that are commonly used in agriculture contain the three basic plant nutrients - nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Some fertilizers also contain certain "micronutrients," such as zinc and other metals that are necessary for plant growth. Materials that are applied to the land primarily to enhance soil characteristics (rather than as plant food) are commonly referred to as soil amendments. Fertilizers and soil amendments are largely derived from raw material, composts and other organic matter, and wastes, such as sewage sludge and certain industrial wastes. FAO defines arable land as land under temporary crops (double-cropped areas are counted once), temporary meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow; land abandoned as a result of shifting cultivation is excluded.
Publisher
The World Bank
Origin
Caribbean small states
Records
63
Source
Caribbean small states | Fertilizer consumption (kilograms per hectare of arable land)
1960
1961 53.40504451
1962 56.75407407
1963 62.34615385
1964 71.88659794
1965 68.92760181
1966 67.41481481
1967 84.52135493
1968 83.40353461
1969 87.52212389
1970 90.82466568
1971 89.45294118
1972 106.47941176
1973 104.43290043
1974 114.23592107
1975 85.40462428
1976 82.23532378
1977 75.94646088
1978 86.86527031
1979 74.24695713
1980 73.84637688
1981 92.93486042
1982 76.96910257
1983 85.83230209
1984 110.32774729
1985 90.20833919
1986 110.90470874
1987 108.98062145
1988 97.36311675
1989 109.91745149
1990 85.10702312
1991 103.28303754
1992 90.69774945
1993 83.04577076
1994 80.89466385
1995 91.34995701
1996 91.59912146
1997 97.62647018
1998 96.24067445
1999 98.92742207
2000 94.20438701
2001 78.56290082
2002 88.03559693
2003 89.45808831
2004 82.54528883
2005 61.31398424
2006 64.09896725
2007 54.04222365
2008 91.30478403
2009 56.25237111
2010 66.65397644
2011 79.69890348
2012 83.68655783
2013 118.60559495
2014 121.66134792
2015 114.87414593
2016 119.04065267
2017 104.05546795
2018 128.98266792
2019 134.26230721
2020 126.39233833
2021 122.48240367
2022

Caribbean small states | Fertilizer consumption (kilograms per hectare of arable land)

Fertilizer consumption measures the quantity of plant nutrients used per unit of arable land. Fertilizer products cover nitrogenous, potash, and phosphate fertilizers (including ground rock phosphate). Traditional nutrients--animal and plant manures--are not included. For the purpose of data dissemination, FAO has adopted the concept of a calendar year (January to December). Some countries compile fertilizer data on a calendar year basis, while others are on a split-year basis. Arable land includes land defined by the FAO as land under temporary crops (double-cropped areas are counted once), temporary meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow. Land abandoned as a result of shifting cultivation is excluded. Development relevance: Factors such as the green revolution, has led to impressive progress in increasing crop yields over the last few decades. This progress, however, is not equal across all regions. Continued progress depends on maintaining agricultural research and education. The cultivation of cereals varies widely in different countries and depends partly upon the development of the economy. Production depends on the nature of the soil, the amount of rainfall, irrigation, quality od seeds, and the techniques applied to promote growth. Agriculture is still a major sector in many economies, and agricultural activities provide developing countries with food and revenue. But agricultural activities also can degrade natural resources. Poor farming practices can cause soil erosion and loss of soil fertility. Efforts to increase productivity by using chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and intensive irrigation have environmental costs and health impacts. Salinization of irrigated land diminishes soil fertility. Thus, inappropriate use of inputs for agricultural production has far-reaching effects. In many developed countries, excessive nitrogen fertilizer applications have sometime lead to pest problems by increasing the birth rate, longevity and overall fitness of certain agricultural pests, such as aphids. Further, excessive use of fertilizers emits significant quantities of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. Over-fertilization of a vital nutrient can be detrimental, as "fertilizer burn" can occur when too much fertilizer is applied, resulting in drying out of the leaves and damage or even death of the plant. In many industrialized countries, overuse of fertilizers has resulted in contamination of surface water and groundwater. There is no single correct mix of inputs to the agricultural land, as it is dependent on local climate, land quality, and economic development; appropriate levels and application rates vary by country and over time and depend on the type of crops, the climate and soils, and the production process used. Limitations and exceptions: The FAO has revised the time series for fertilizer consumption and irrigation for 2002 onward. FAO collects fertilizer statistics for production, imports, exports, and consumption through the new FAO fertilizer resources questionnaire. In the previous release, the data were based on total consumption of fertilizers, but the data in the recent release are based on the nutrients in fertilizers. Some countries compile fertilizer data on a calendar year basis, while others compile on a crop year basis (July-June). Previous editions of this indicator, Fertilizer consumption (100 grams per hectare of arable land), reported data on a crop year basis, but this edition uses the calendar year, as adopted by the FAO. Caution should thus be used when comparing data over time. The data are collected by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) through annual questionnaires. The FAO tries to impose standard definitions and reporting methods, but complete consistency across countries and over time is not possible. The secondary sources cover official country data from websites of national ministries, national publications and related country data reported by various international organizations. Statistical concept and methodology: Fertilizer consumption measures the quantity of plant nutrients, and is calculated as production plus imports minus exports. Because some chemical compounds used for fertilizers have other industrial applications, the consumption data may overstate the quantity available for crops. Fertilizer consumption as a share of production shows the agriculture sector's vulnerability to import and energy price fluctuation. Most fertilizers that are commonly used in agriculture contain the three basic plant nutrients - nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Some fertilizers also contain certain "micronutrients," such as zinc and other metals that are necessary for plant growth. Materials that are applied to the land primarily to enhance soil characteristics (rather than as plant food) are commonly referred to as soil amendments. Fertilizers and soil amendments are largely derived from raw material, composts and other organic matter, and wastes, such as sewage sludge and certain industrial wastes. FAO defines arable land as land under temporary crops (double-cropped areas are counted once), temporary meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow; land abandoned as a result of shifting cultivation is excluded.
Publisher
The World Bank
Origin
Caribbean small states
Records
63
Source