Nitrogen management research impacts sorghum yields and global fertilizer estimates

New agricultural research highlights different methods for managing nitrogen to improve crop yields and reduce synthetic fertilizer reliance.

In Argentina, researchers from INTA found that nitrogen fertilization significantly impacts sorghum performance in alkaline-saline-sodic soils. The study demonstrated that using ammonium sulfate instead of urea can reduce soil pH and improve the nutritional status of plants, specifically increasing chlorophyll content and biomass. The effectiveness of this method varies depending on the specific sorghum hybrid used, with more tolerant genotypes showing growth levels comparable to those in neutral soils.

On a global scale, an international study involving the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and CEIGRAM has quantified the amount of nitrogen provided by irrigation water. Published in Nature Sustainability, the research estimates that irrigation water contributes approximately 13.8 million tons of nitrogen annually. This amount is equivalent to 13% of the synthetic nitrogen fertilizer used worldwide. This previously uncounted nitrogen source, derived from aquifers and rivers, could potentially reduce the global agricultural dependence on synthetic fertilizers, which currently account for about 2% of global energy consumption.