Nutrient Efficient Fertilizers and Practices Relating to Food Security 

and  Sustainability

2010 FERTILIZER AND TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA November 18, 2010

There are 6.7 billionpeople on Earth.

Food Security and Sustainability

There will be more than 9 billion people living in the world by 2050.

Global Population Growth

Source: United Nations Estimates

FOOD DEMAND = 11.5 BILLION

By 2050 dietary shifts will result in the consumption equivalent of about 11.5 billion people at 2009 diet levels.

Food Demand

Source: United Nations Estimates

POPULATION = 9 BILLION

Demand Growth

Source: UN Environment Program Estimates

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

1989 2025 2050 1989 2025 2050 1989 2025 2050

Cereals Other Crops Animal Products

millions of ton

s

Developing

Developed

1 billion peoplesuffer from hunger.

Source: State of Food Insecurity in the World, 2008 FAO."Food Security Statistics"

That’s approximately the same number of people who live in the United States, Canada and the

European Union combined.

Hunger

To meet demand and prevent hunger and malnutrition global food production must increase by at least 70% and possibly double by 2050, using less land and water resources while decreasing environmental pollution.

Challenge

Well-documented and predictable trends.

Available freshwater is in decline.

Arable land area is shrinking.

Marine harvests are dwindling.

Poor efficiency in plant uptake of nutrients applied.

Agricultural research is in decline worldwide.

Factors limiting food production

Soil Degradation

Role of Fertilizer in Sustainable Agriculture

Manufacturer

Ocean Transport

Port Discharge(Bagging)

Trucks to Warehouse Warehouse(Blending)

Inland Transportation

Training of FarmersFarmer ApplicationA Healthy Crop Agro‐Dealer Shop

Sustainability

Sustainable agriculture is underpinned

by the principle of:

• Optimizing production

• Improving quality (nutrition)

• Minimizing off-site and on-site resource

degradation

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2008

mt / ha'0

00 m

tIndia: Evolution of Fertilizer

Consumption and Cereal Yields

N P2O5 K2O Cereal Yields

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2008

mt / ha'0

00 m

tSSA: Evolution of Fertilizer

Consumption and Cereal Yields

N P2O5 K2O Cereal Yields

Fertilizer ProblemHigh-Users• Overuse and highly inefficient use 

(e.g. China, elsewhere in high value crops).

• Nutrient imbalance• Extreme eutrophication 1.7 million 

tonnes N lost. Low-Users• Average of 8 kg nutrients/ha• Relatively poor use efficiency due

to poor fertilizer management• Lack of improved germplasm use

Why Improve Efficiency? Growth in World’s Demand for Fertilizer1.2 billion metric tons fertilizer‐N consumption over the next decade.

Low Efficiency‐ 30%‐40% of N applied to     cereals in developing countries is used by crops.

‐ 10-25% for initial P application

Year

1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

N F

ertil

izer

Use

in C

erea

ls

(mill

ion

tonn

es p

er y

ear)

0

2

4

6

8

10

Part

ial F

ertil

izer

Pro

duct

ivity

(kg

grai

n pe

r kg

N a

pplie

d)

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

(Sources: Fertilizer Statistics 2007‐8, FAI; http://dacnet.nic.in/eands/At_Glance_2008/pcrops_new.html)

Changes in Partial Fertilizer Productivity of N for Grain Production and Fertilizer N Consumption

for Grains in India

• Loss of productivity or utility of soils• Losses such as:

‐ agricultural productivity relative to land use/culture

‐ biomass, nutrient, and water retention  GHG, H2O 

‐ biodiversity

Soil Degradation Costs

“We know more about the movement of celestial bodies than about the soil underfoot”–Leonardo da Vinci

Soil Rehabilitation

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

0 10 20 30 40N fertilizer applied (kg N/ha)

Mai

ze g

rain

yie

ld (k

g/ha

)

Homestead field - year 1Outfield - year 1Homestead field - year 3Outfield - year 3

Urea production requires fossil fuels.

Urea = 46% Nitrogen

equivalent

Improve Efficiency: Energy Saving

4-barrel energy equivalency

Nutrient 

Soil and Water

WeatherCrop

Socioeconomic and Policy

Nutrient Management

Increasing Nutrient Use Efficiency

Synchrony of Nutrient Supply with Crop Nutrient Demand

Balanced Fertilization Integrated Crop Management Nutrient Efficient Genotypes

Improving N Use Efficiency: SupplyNH3

UREASE INHIBITORWORKS HERE

Runoff

NitrateUrea

Ammonia

NH3

Ammonium

NH4+ NO3

‐ N2

N2ONO

Leaching

DEEPPLACEMENTWORKS HERE

NITRIFICATION INHIBITOR

WORKS HERE

Improving N Use Efficiency: Demand (Uptake Profile of Maize)

0

20

40

60

80

100

0 25 50 75 100 125

Days after planting

% T

otal

DM

Y o

r N

Upt

ake

DRY MATTER

N

SILKING

Nutrient Efficient Fertilizers and Practices

• Maximize synchrony between demand and supply• Reduce losses – volatilization, denitrification, 

leaching loss, and runoff loss• Reduce fixation/immobilization• Reduce soil acidification• Reduce germination/seedling                                  

damage  ‐ salt, NH3 toxicity 

Improve Efficiency - Practice

• Knifed into the soil• Dribbled (banded) on the soil surface• Banded at planting• Side‐dressed or top‐dressed during the growing season• Fertigation• Foliar spray• Deep placement (urea, NPK briquettes)

Improve Efficiency -Product Modification and Amendments

Slow and controlled release sources• Low water solubility – urea formaldehydes, phosphate rocks

• Coated: S, rubber, polyurethane, polyolefins, etc.

• Reacted layer technology

• Inhibitors:  PPDA, NBTPT, Boric acid, DCD, DMPP, nitrapyrine

• Protectants/Solubilizers: natural, synthetic

Surface application (no till farming), Single application (labor and energy savings)

Summary of Research Trials 

on UDP Conducted 

in Bangladesh

Days After Fertilizer Application

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Floo

dwat

er N

Con

tent

(g m

-2)

0.00

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.10

0.12

0.14 Zero N78(:14:25) Prilled Urea 78(:14:25) Urea Briquette 78:14:25 NPK Briq.

LSD = 0.015

Cumulative Ammonia Volatilization Loss from Guthrie Soil

Days

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18

NH

3-N

Los

s (%

N A

pplie

d)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Urea AgrotainUDP

Effect of Deep Placement on Floodwater N Content

Comparison of Rice Grain Yield with Urea Briquette Deep Placement andBroadcast Split Urea Application from 2009-2010 Demonstration Plots

Grain Yield with Broadcast Urea (t ha-1)

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Gra

in Y

ield

with

Dee

p P

lace

men

t (t h

a-1)

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

Aus 2009T. Aman 2009Boro 2010Boro 2009

1:1 Line

Y = 0.975 + 1.04 x (r2 = 0.83, N = 315)

Comparison of Partial Factor Productivity (Grain Yield with Soil N and Fertilizer N per kg Applied N)

for 2009-2010 Demonstration Plots

Grain Yield (kg) per kg N Applied using Prilled Urea

20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140

Gra

in Y

ield

(kg)

per

kg

N a

pplie

d us

ing

UD

P

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

Aus 2009T. Aman 2009Boro 2010Boro 2009

Y = 49.1 + 0.925 x (r2 = 0.38, N = 315)

1:1 Line

Comparison of Volatilization Loss from Conventional and Modified N Fertilizers on Upland Canyon Soil

Days After N Application

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18

Am

mon

ia-N

Vol

atili

zatio

n Lo

ss (%

of A

pplie

d N

)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

22Urea Urease InhibitorUAN Sulfur Coated Urea Controlled-Release UreaUrea-PolymerUrea+Boric acid .5%

Nitr

ate-

N (m

g N

)Effect of Nitrification Inhibitors on Nitrate-N Supply

Weeks of Incubation

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 110

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

UREA UREA + DCDUREA + DMPP

LSD(.05) = 0.72

Nitrate release now is more closely matched with crop N demand

Stable P(soil‐bound)

Soil P Solution

Labile P (weakly held)

Active P (moderately held)

Fertilizer P Added

P   in Plant

Erosion LossesLeachingLosses

Human Nutrition Issue • Address mineral deficiencies 

BoronZinc

Bangladesh

BiosolidsSludge from municipal sewage waste processed to reduce 

environmental impact

85% water15% solids

Conditioned Biosolids

Sulfuric Acid

Ammonia

Pipe Cross Reactor

Granulator

BiosolidFertilizer

BiosolidFertilizer

Recycled water High nutrient content

Summarizing Nutrient Use Efficiency Synchrony of Nutrient Supply with Crop Demand

‐ fertilizer type     ‐ amount ‐method of application  ‐ timing of application 

Balanced Fertilization‐ other essential nutrients

Integrated Crop Management‐ best management of biotic and abiotic factors

Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers‐ reduce losses further by controlled or slow release‐minimize risk

Policy Implications

• Promotion of BMP’s– Cropping system, species, & varieties

• Protection of Environment– Improved NUE to lower impact

• Cooperative effort between molecular biology (chemical & seed) and fertilizer industries

Concluding RemarkImproving the efficiency of land and resource-use are critical for agriculture to feed the ever-increasing population and yet remain sustainable for future generations.

Efficiency = Food Security

and Sustainability