Sustainable Fertilizer Management in Agricultural Systems

Sustainable fertilizer management seeks to optimise crop nutrition while minimising environmental harm and resource depletion. Central to this endeavour is improving nutrient‐use efficiency, reducing losses of reactive nitrogen to air and water, and integrating organic and inorganic inputs in site‐specific regimes. Approaches include precision agriculture techniques, soil testing and decision‐support tools to tailor application rates; slow‐release formulations and enhanced anchorage of nutrients; and the recycling of manures and crop residues. Policy instruments—from subsidy reforms to performance‐based incentives—are critical to align farmer practices with environmental goals. Globally, sustainable systems support food security by stabilising yields, conserving soil health and curbing greenhouse gas emissions, all while safeguarding water quality and biodiversity. Interdisciplinary research continues to refine best practices, linking technological innovation with socio-economic and behavioural insights to foster resilient agroecosystems.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have analysed the impact of agricultural support on greenhouse gas emissions and identified pathways for reform. Global modelling of subsidy regimes indicates that while existing support schemes contribute only moderately to additional emissions, a comprehensive redesign—shifting incentives away from high-emission products and towards efficient nutrient management—can significantly lower agricultural greenhouse gas outputs without undermining yields. Integrating subsidy realignment with enhanced nitrogen uptake efficiency and increased manure recycling emerges as a decisive strategy to achieve zero growth in nitrogen fertiliser use while maintaining food security.

Sustainable Fertilizer Management in Agricultural Systems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in sustainable fertilizer management in agricultural systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Nutrient-use efficiency: The proportion of applied nutrients taken up by crops, indicating how effectively fertiliser inputs are converted into yield.

Reactive nitrogen: Bioavailable forms of nitrogen (such as nitrate and ammonium) that support plant growth but can cause pollution when in excess.

Non-point source pollution: Diffuse contamination from multiple, widely distributed sources (e.g., fertiliser runoff) leading to water eutrophication.

Integrated nutrient management: A holistic strategy combining organic and inorganic nutrient sources, soil testing and site-specific application to optimise crop nutrition and minimise losses.

Precision agriculture: The use of sensors, GPS mapping and data analytics to apply inputs variably across fields, matching spatial variations in crop requirements.

References

1. Do economic preferences and personality traits influence fertilizer use? Evidence from rice farmers in eastern China. Journal of Environmental Psychology (2024).
2. Agricultural subsidies and global greenhouse gas emissions. Nature Communications (2021).
3. Reforming China’s fertilizer policies: implications for nitrogen pollution reduction and food security. Sustainability Science (2022).
4. Factors affecting farmers’ use of organic and inorganic fertilizers in South Asia. Environmental Science and Pollution Research (2021).