Nutrient Use Efficiency in Potato

Controlled release fertilizers in seed potatoes

Optimum efficiency of mineral fertilizers is essential for a sustainable agricultural production. With the increasing world demand for food and energy, this is set to become an ever increasing priority. There is an absolute requirement to maximize efficiency, using both agronomic and plant breeding approaches.

Nutrient use efficiency may be defined as yield per unit fertilizer input, or in terms of recovery of fertilizer applied.

Nitrogen is the nutrient applied at highest rates in agriculture. According to the FAO database, total nitrogen consumption came up to 99.6 million MT in 2013. Globally, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) for cereal production is estimated at merely 33-40%. The unaccounted 60-67% represents ~$20 billion annual loss of N fertilizer, by soil de-nitrification, volatilization, surface runoff, and leaching (William & Johnson, 1999). These reasons made it the nutrient lost at highest rates in agriculture. The fraction that is lost from the cropping system is the source of much of the environmental pollution associated with fertilization.

Numerous studies demonstrate that Controlled Release Fertilizers (CRF) provide significant reduction in nitrogen losses and considerably increased nutrient use efficiencies, hence increased yields and quality.