What has caused the use of fertilizers to skyrocket in China?

The consumption of fertilizers in China has skyrocketed in the last six decades and this raises strong environmental concerns. The study was conducted to determine which crop production factors have contributed to the increased use of fertilizers in China. Firstly, annual fertilizer application data for 16 major crops over the period 1950-2010 were estimated, and periodic changes were analyzed to determine the contributions made by total cropping area (TCA), fertilizer application rate (kg ha(-1), FAR), and crop type (proportions of TCA for individual crops, CT). Results show that total fertilizer consumption increased from 0.07 Mt in 1950 to 49.6 Mt in 2000, and 74.7% of the increase is attributable to FAR, 0.05% to TCA, and 25.3% to CT. The contribution of FAR to total fertilizer consumption decreased (from 98.3% in the 1950s to 65.6% in the 2000s), while the contributions of TCA and CT increased (from 0.90 and 0.81% in the 1950s to 17.5 and 16.8% in the 2000s, respectively). Maize, rice, and wheat were the major crops to which most of the fertilizers (up to 87.9%) were applied before the 1980s. However, after the 1980s maize, vegetables and fruits became the major drivers of fertilizers consumption. These three crops contributed 59.6% in the 1990s and 90.6% in the 2000s to the increased consumption of fertilizers. Results suggest that shifts in FAR and CT may be the critical control points for future fertilizer consumption, and increased integrated soil-crop system management in China should focus on vegetables and fruits.