The agricultural sector will face many challenges in the near future. Trying to produce "more with less" will be an increasingly pressing goal as the world’s population is growing, arable land is shrinking and in Europe the Green Deal foresees a 20% reduction of fertilizer use by 2030.
This means that the efficiency of fertiliser use must be improved (Nutrient Use Efficiency - NUE).
Ideally, the perfect fertilizer can be considered as one that gives its nutrients as the plant requires them, following their needs according to the phenological stage in which it is (fig.1).
Figure 1- The ideal fertiliser releases elements in a synchronous way to the nutrient requirements of the crop. Source: Lammel, 2005 in G. Ciuffreda, "Nitrogen: three concepts to know in order to make better use of it". The agricultural informant, supplement to 15/2016.
The NUE can be expressed by the following formula and represents the percentage ratio of nutrients absorbed by the plant to nutrients supplied to the soil.
The FAO estimates that globally the NUE of macronutrients is about 50% for nitrogen, 10-15% for phosphorus and 40% for potassium [1].
Figure 2 - For every kg of nitrogen added to the soil, the plant uses less than half in China, about three-quarters in Europe, while the world average is around 50%. On the other hand, in the African continent the efficiency of use is very high as a result of the very low use of nitrogen as fertilizer. Source: Brentrup et al., 2010 in G. Ciuffreda, "Nitrogen: three concepts to know in order to use it better". The agricultural informant, supplement to 15/2016
These low efficiencies are due to a number of factors which can be summarised as:
- Use of fertilisers with low nutrient efficiency (poorly soluble phosphorus, classical nitrogen forms;
- Application of incorrect cultivation techniques (wrong use times, under or overdosage).
The NUECR4 technology fertilisers of FCP Cerea are highly efficient in that they release nutrients slowly ensuring greater availability for plants, limiting negative phenomena such as leaching (removal of nutrients from the area explored by the roots by percolation into the deep layers of the soil) which is one of the main causes of the loss of efficiency of traditional fertilisers.
The NUECR4 fertilizers (CR acronym of "Cationic Retention") behave like the clays of the soil that, having negative electric charge, bind the cations to give them up over time. Specifically, once distributed in the soil, the granulate is hydrated, the nutrients are solubilised and the cations present (NH4+, K+, Ca++, Mg++, etc.) remain in the granulate and are progressively released (fig.3).
Figure 3 - Mechanism of action of NUECR4 technology
The NUECR4 technology is particularly active against the ammonia ion NH4+ (nitrogen), an essential element for plants whose soils are generally poor but also improves the efficiency of other essential elements such as potassium, calcium and magnesium.
Finally, it should be noted that the slow release of nitrogen takes place without using synthetic polymers (microplastics) that cover the granules of controlled release fertilizers, thus being more environmentally sustainable.
The benefits of NUECR4 technology contained in Fcp Cerea fertilizers are:
- Increased element use efficiency (NUE);
- Gradual release of nutrients;
- High nutrient availability for the plant also in the medium/long term;
- Strong and steady plant growth from early vegetative stages;
- Increased yields;
- Greater environmental sustainability
Today there are two products with NUECR4 technology in the range
- Blurain 10.12.16 suitable for tree crops, small fruits, horticultural open field and greenhouse. Ideal for a bottom fertilization or starter in band.
- Control 6.14 with low chlorine content, which has the advantages of NUECR4 Technology associated with slow nitrogen release from urea formaldehyde (40% on total). This allows the availability of nitrogen for plants to be further extended over time. Control is a formulation suitable for vegetable crops, fruit trees, meadows and golf courses.
In addition, in the near future Cerea FCP will obtain the registration of a microbial biostimulant CE (according to the new regulation EU 1009/2019) can improve the NUE by using the capacity of certain bacterial strains to bind atmospheric nitrogen and release nutrients (phosphorus and potassium) present in the soil in a form not available for plant roots.