DOI: 10.5061/dryad.mgqnk99d1
title: Global dataset on nutrient removal with crop residues

description: This dataset provides global, annual estimates of how much nitrogen,
 phosphorus, and potassium are removed from cropland through the off-field
 removal of crop residues. It covers 210 countries from 1961 to 2023, based
 on information from official statistics, expert knowledge, and published
 sources. The dataset has been integrated into the FAO Cropland Nutrient
 Balance Database as of the 2025 release, enabling more complete
 assessments of nutrient balances and nutrient use efficiency.
description: # Global dataset on nutrient removal with crop residues ## 1. Background
 and methods Crop residues are the parts of the plant that remain in the
 field after harvest. Previous versions of the [FAO - Cropland Nutrient
 Balance Database (FAO-CNB)](https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/ESB) only
 provided estimates of nutrient outputs through the harvested organs, but
 not for nutrient outputs associated with crop residue removal. When
 residues are removed from the field for other uses, such as off-field
 livestock feeding, bedding, fuel or mushroom cultivation, considerable
 amounts of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) are removed out
 of the system. Nutrients may also be lost due to in-field residue burning.
 In contrast, nutrients in crop residues are recycled in the agroecosystem
 when they are used for grazing within the field or left to decompose above
 or below ground. The file
 *Nutrient_removal_with_crop_residue.csv* contains estimates of nutrient
 removal from crop residue removal for the 158 crops, 210 countries, and
 years 1961–2023 included in the FAO-CNB. To estimate the share of residues
 that are removed from the field, we compiled information from official
 statistics (5 countries), surveyed 402 experts in agronomy of 102
 countries, and retrieved data from 285 scientific and gray literature
 publications. We combined these sources using a tier-based approach that
 prioritized official and crop-specific data of higher reliability. We
 collected information for four periods (around 1970, 1990, 2010, and the
 most recent year) and reached full temporal coverage by applying linear
 interpolation between two time period estimates to obtain annual
 estimates. Together, the crop-country combinations for which we gathered
 data covered approximately 75 % of global cropland area. Missing
 information for minor crops was filled with average data from similar
 crops in the same country and year. For countries without available data
 (roughly 6 % of cropland area), we estimated the fraction of residue
 removal through spatial extrapolation using machine-learning models that
 related crop residue management to climate, crop type, and socio-economic
 characteristics. We calculated annual N, P, and K outputs from residue
 removal using yields reported in the [FAOSTAT Crop and Livestock
 Production Database](https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCL) and
 crop-specific global-average harvest indexes and nutrient concentrations
 in crop residues from the literature (see
 *crop_residue_coefficients.csv*). Values were computed by crop and
 averaged at national levels by considering crop harvested areas. The
 corresponding equations are provided in Section 3.2. ## 2. Data use
 statement. These data are released to support their integration into the
 FAO-CNB. The authors are preparing a companion analytical paper that will
 provide an in-depth analysis of global patterns of crop residue nutrient
 removal and their implications for nutrient balances and use efficiency.
 Users are welcome to contact the corresponding author before potentially
 undertaking derivative analyses that may substantially overlap with the
 planned publication. ## 3. Database description The database follows a
 long-format structure consistent with other FAOSTAT databases, with
 following column names: * Area Code: Country code used in FAOSTAT
 databases * Area Code (M49): [United Nations
 M49](https://unstats.un.org/unsd/methodology/m49/) country codes * Area:
 Country name * Year: Harvest year * Element: Reported variable (see *3.1
 Variable definition* below) * Value: Value for the reported variable *
 Unit: Unit of the reported variable * Flag: Code indicating source of
 reported value (see *3.3 Flag description* below). ### 3.1 Variable
 definition * **Crop residue removal:** Percentage of above-ground crop
 residue that is removed outside of the field for other uses. *Note that
 residue burning or grazing within the field are not included in the
 removal estimates.* * **N, P, and K removed with crop residue:** Amount of
 elemental nutrient that is removed from the field with the crop residue
 removed from the field. ### 3.2 Equations * TR~ijk~ (kg DM ha^-1^) =
 Y~ijk~ (kg ha^-1^) × (DMHO~j~ (%) / 100) × (1/HI~j~ – 1) * RR~ijk~ (kg DM
 ha⁻¹) = TR~ijk~ (kg DM ha⁻¹) × (RR~ijk~ (%) / 100) * N RR~ijk~ (kg ha⁻¹) =
 RR~ijk~ (kg DM ha⁻¹) × (N TR~j~ (%) / 100) * P RR~ijk~ (kg ha⁻¹) = RR~ijk~
 (kg DM ha⁻¹) × (P TR~j~ (%) / 100) * K RR~ijk~ (kg ha⁻¹) = RR~ijk~ (kg DM
 ha⁻¹) × (K TR~j~ (%) / 100) **TR** is total residue, **Y** is crop yield,
 **DMHO** is the dry-matter content of the harvested organ, **HI** is the
 harvest index, **RR** is the crop residue removed from the field, and
 **N**, **P**, and **K** represent nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium,
 respectively. The subscripts **i**, **j**, and **k** denote **year**,
 **crop**, and **country**, respectively. **N TRj (%)** is the nitrogen
 concentration in crop residue for crop *j*, expressed on an oven-dry mass
 basis. **N RR (kg ha⁻¹)** is the amount of nitrogen removed from the field
 through crop residue removal per hectare. ### 3.3 Flags: * A: official
 figure (Tier 1) * E (sl): value estimated with survey and literature
 review data (Tier 2) * E (ml): value estimated with machine learning
 extrapolation (Tier 3) * E (ti): value estimated by temporal interpolation