Revisiting fertilisers and fertilisation strategies for improved nutrient uptake by plants

• DOI: 10.1007/s00374-015-1039-7
• Publication Date: 2015-07-15T07:02:21Z
• Authors: Prem S. Bindraban; Christian Dimkpa; Latha Nagarajan; Amit Roy; Rudy Rabbinge
• Keywords: Nutrient Management

Meeting human needs within the ecological limits of our planet calls for continuous reflection on, and redesigning of, agricultural technologies practices. Such include fertilisers, discovery use which have been one key factors increasing crop yield, productivity food security. Fertiliser comes, however, at an environmental cost, fertilisers also not a very economically effective production factor to lift many poor farmers out poverty, especially in African countries where application on soils unbalanced compositions nutrients has shown limited impact yield increase. Agronomic practices apply existing mineral primarily containing N, P K, right time, place, amount, composition can improve efficiency fertilisers. However, overall progress reduce negative side effects is inadequate desired transformation toward sustainable agriculture countries. Globally, there no fundamental reflections about role functioning over past 5 decades or more, compared other sectors, dismal investments made fertiliser research development (R&D). In this paper, we reflect current propose more deliberate adoption knowledge plant physiological processes—including diversity nutrient uptake mechanisms, their translocation metabolism—as entry point identifying physicochemical “packaging” nutrients, composition, amount timing meet improved instantaneous uptake. addition delivery through root, suggest that efforts be redoubled with several avenues, as now are best haphazard, plant, including above ground parts seed coating. Furthermore, processes, nutrient-specific interactions soil, plant-microorganism symbiosis, nanotechnology, exploited enhance It hoped concerted R&D will pursued achieve these strategies.