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Kg grain per kg N .
59 43
Since 1975:
39% increase in N efficiency 12% increase in fertilizer N per ha 40% increase in corn yields
145 123
system management
Realistic
estimation of attainable yield Yield potential protection pest management and other cultural practices Balanced nutrition
P applied 45 kg ha-1
N recovery by crop,%
Zhu, 1994
Jin, 2001
Barley
Wheat (11 yrs) Corn (5 yrs)
28
31 35
51
70 66
N Efficiency, kg grain/kg N
28-39 39-50
50-62
62-73
Frequency of zones
8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 28-39 39-50 1
47 kg grain/kg N
2
1 0 50-62
62-73
management Use of site-specific precision ag technologies Better prediction of soil N mineralization Improved timing of N application Improved manure management and crediting Improved fertilizers Biotechnology?
Is the concept of fertilizer use efficiency the same for P and K as it is with N?
120
P use efficiency, kg corn/kg P
100
are applied at low soil test levels Building soil test levels to optimum reduces efficiency Efficient P use means reduced profitability, water use efficiency, N use efficiency, and land use efficiency
100
Relative yield, % .
80
60 40 20 0
5 10 15 Bray P-1, ppm
90 80 70 60 50
Low
**
**
20 25
*
Soil test level
High
input needed to sustain the system at optimum productivity expressed as a removal to use ratio
Review current crop removal to use ratios Review current soil test levels Combine the two to assess efficiency
Information Sources: Soil Test Levels in North America, PPI/PPIC/FAR Technical Bulletin 2001-1. Plant Nutrient Use in North American Agriculture, PPI/PPIC/FAR Technical Bulletin 2002-1.
------- K2O, billion kg -----U.S. 6 corn states 8.8 3.0 4.6 1.9 1.7 0.5 1.91 1.62 1.39 1.30
* USDA-NRCS, 2000; Due to manure distribution problems relative to crop demand, this likely overestimates the agronomic contribution.
AB SK
MB ON PQ
WA ME MT OR ID SD WY IA NV UT CO CA MO NE IL IN OH
MD
NB
PEI
ND MN WI NY MI VT NH MA CT PA
NJ
NS
R/(F+M)
0.00-0.89 0.90-1.09 1.10-1.49 1.50-4.99 > 5.00
RI
WV VA KY NC
DE
KS
AZ
NM
OK AR MS TX
TN SC AL GA
LA
FL
Applied
fertilizer
Recov.
manure*
Removal to use
fertilizer fert+man
------- P2O5, billion kg -----U.S. 6 corn states 5.2 2.3 4.0 1.4 1.5 0.4 1.30 1.71 0.95 1.33
*USDA-NRCS, 2000; Due to manure distribution problems relative to crop demand and unavailability of a portion of manure P, this likely overestimates the agronomic contribution.
AB SK
MB ON PQ
PEI
WA
NB ME
MT ND MN ID SD WY IA NE IL UT CO MO IN PA OH
MD WV DE NJ VT NS
R/(F+M)
0.00-0.49 0.50-0.89 0.90-1.09 1.10-1.49 >1.50
OR
WI
NY MI
NH MA CT RI
NV
CA
VA KY NC
KS
AZ
NM
OK AR MS TX
TN SC AL GA
LA
FL
America in both current removal to use ratios and soil test levels 1 is often not the appropriate removal to use ratio target for a state or for a field
Soil test levels < optimum: ratio should be < 1 Soil test levels > optimum: ratio should probably be > 1
1.8 1.6 1.4 1.2 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20 25
SD
IA
AR
GA
Current test = 130 Build: (150 - 130) x 9 kg K2O/ppm = 180 kg K2O/ha To spread build over 4 yrs = 180/4 = 45 kg K2O/ha Avg crop removal per year = 67 kg K2O/ha Total to apply = 45 + 67 = 112 kg K2O/ha
Applied
P2O5, kg/ha
No. of Crops 5 F 9 F 8 GH 19 GH 4 F
Recovery % 28 54 74 87 100
Fixen, 1992
If a field is at its optimum soil test level, and replacement of the P and K removed by crops maintains that optimum level, what is the efficiency of P or K?
100%
If use must exceed removal to maintain optimum productivity, soil erosion or fixation are often the cause: Reduce erosion losses Utilize banding and annual fertilizer application
Good progress has been made in improving agronomic efficiency Will be significant pressure to further improve agronomic efficiency without sacrificing yield potential Research shows there is room for improvement Yields will likely continue to increase faster than N use
natural systems indicate a permanent and expanding role for fertilizers in food production