Optimizing fertilizer use

Growers need to ensure that the form and type, as well as amount and timing, of nitrogen being applied will not result in significant losses due to denitrification, volatilization or leaching.  Good soil structure further increases N-use efficiency and reduces N₂O losses. Optimizing N efficiency not only reduces climate and other environmental impact, it is also a key factor in maintaining and even increasing productivity and profitability.

Crop nutrition programs developed by Yara help to choose the right product and apply it in the most efficient way. An array of management tools such as the N-Sensor™ and the N-Tester™, as well as software applications such as the Internet-based Megalab™, assist farmers in keeping profitability up and environmental impact down.

In agriculture as in any other domain, less is sometimes more. A field study conducted on multiple farms in Germany examined the effect of fertilizer application using the N-Sensor. The findings demonstrated that using the N-Sensor increased yields by 6% while reducing N fertilizer use by 12%. This increase in N efficiency reduces the carbon footprint by 10-30%.