fertilizers & agriculture may 2014

f e r t i l i z e r s& a g r i c u l t u r e

May 2014

www.fertilizer.org

The African Fertilizer Volunteer's Program

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IFA Annual Conference in Sydney

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Focus onFertilizer Australia

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In my capacity as Chairman of the IFA Agriculture Committee, it is my great

pleasure to share some of my thoughts regarding the challeng-es and opportunities as-sociated with nutrient management.

Fertilizers are essential, and so is effective nutrient managementWe all know that plant

nutrients, especially nitrogen, phos-phorus and potassium, are essential in-puts for producing crops and providing enough food, feed, fibre and bioenergy for a fast-growing and wealthier world population. Maintaining soil fertility requires replacing nutrients removed from the field by the harvested prod-ucts. Manufactured fertilizers play a key role, as they provide the soil with the nutrients required to grow the plants that are needed to feed the world.We also have to keep in mind that ag-ricultural systems are open systems, so that nutrient losses cannot be entirely avoided. Since the fertilizer industry is the main source of anthropogenic reac-tive nitrogen, phosphorus and potassi-um, we have an obvious role to play in increasing the effectiveness of their use. We have long pursued the goal of en-hancing crop productivity and main-taining soil fertility while reducing nu-trient losses to the environment. In this connection, IFA and its members pro-mote nutrient stewardship, i.e. the ef-ficient and effective planning and man-

agement of plant nutrients in a manner that improves the social, economic and environmental performance of mineral and organic fertilizers. Such stewardship is implemented in site- and crop-specific ways, based on well-established scien-tific management principles related to the source, rate, timing and placement of nutrients.

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Let’s join forces for nutrient stewardship by Jørgen Ole Haslestad

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IFA's new website provides a fresh, sleek and dynamic platform, where members can find all the information they need in a simpler, more interactive manner. For their benefit we have created the following new functionalities:• Personal member interface; • Online membership directory;• Order online new statistics; • Manage your newsletter subscriptions;• New blog with original editorial content on IFA’s activities...

visit us at www.fertilizer.org

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Innovation is the keywordFor this to happen, we have to develop innovative solutions. That will obvious-ly require higher investments in R&D. Moreover, if existing technology were adopted more widely by farmers, espe-cially in developing countries, the yield gap could be considerably reduced. I en-courage IFA, its members and its partners to embrace innovation as a philosophy, considering farmers in their diversity, from adopters of high-tech options to smallholders who need our help to exit the poverty trap. We need innovative ideas leading to the implementation of new concepts and strategies, in terms of products, nutrient management prac-tices and outreach to farmers. We also require innovative partnerships with all those who share common goals, especially farmers’ organizations, rural advisory services, scientific organiza-tions and other agri-input sectors – but also with less traditional partners such as information technology companies. As you know, IFA has made nutrient stew-ardship and management a top priority. I am delighted to inform you that IFA and the World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO) have just agreed to form a part-nership to collaborate on the important topic of outreach to farmers, and I en-courage all IFA member companies to assist with shaping and implementing this partnership.

We can and will do moreOur industry has done a lot in the past decades: we provide farmers with a wide range of fertilizers that correspond to the diversity of their crops and to agro-climatic conditions. The way we manu-

facture and move our products, and the way they are managed by farmers, have dramatically improved. We should prob-ably communicate better our achieve-ments as individual companies and as an industry. However, we can also do more – and will do more – to continue reduc-ing the number of hungry and malnour-ished people, nurturing agricultural soils, improving farmers’ incomes, and preserving our environment. At a time when the world is negotiat-ing the Sustainable Development Goals, which will set the direction for the next 15 years, it is essential to show that we are part of the solution and that we are willing to do our job, now and together.Nutrient stewardship was the main topic of the Bridging Thoughts workshop co-organized by the Agriculture Commit-tee and the Communicators Network at the end of January in Paris. Based on the roadmap agreed in Paris, IFA agron-omists and communicators are contrib-uting to international negotiations on the sustainable development agenda. They are considering initiatives such as the one with WFO to address the global nutrient challenge in its diversity and complexity. We will keep you informed of develop-ments. I strongly encourage all those of you with an interest in nutrient steward-ship to participate in IFA’s related initia-tives.

Jørgen Ole Haslestad is Chairman of the IFA Agriculture Committee and Presi-dent and CEO of Yara International, Norway.

Who is going to be the next winner of IFA’s prestigious Green Leaf Award ?

Excellence in safety, health and environ-mental (SHE) management in production is not only a must within the global fertilizer in-dustry but it has also become a top pri-ority of the industry’s senior leadership. In this light, excellent SHE performance within the IFA membership should be globally-recognized and duly-reward-ed. This is why the Association grants the Green Leaf Award every two years to a deserving member company.

Discover who the current world champi-on is and why this company was unani-mously selected by an independent panel of judges. www.fertilizer.org/Awardsand also www.ifa-santiago2013.org

IFA is inviting c a n d i d a t e product ion facilities from its member-ship to sub-mit an appli-cation by 15 August 2014, demonstrat-ing:• I n n o v a -

tive and/or improved SHE performance and/or sustained excellence in SHE performance over time;

• The implementation of management systems to ensure SHE control across the product lifecycle.

IFA members can download the Award application at www.protectandsustain.org/participate/text/107-the-green-leaf-award-invitation-for-application

IFA news

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Focus on

FERTILIZER AUSTRALIA

Sustainability and stewardshipby Nick Drew

In 2002, the members of what was then the Fertilizer Industry Federation of

Australia (FIFA) decided to remake the organization to effectively engage with two key areas of public policy: quaran-tine and environment.Contamination of fertilizer cargo with grain or other organic matter was a se-rious issue, with quarantine authorities inspecting vessels on arrival and any contamination resulting in costly and disruptive re-export of the cargo.Working cooperatively with the respon-sible government agency, the industry has developed systems and processes that provide for inspection and qual-ity assurance along the supply chain, so that fertilizer cargos are known to be clear of contamination prior to arrival in Australia. This has effectively mitigated a multimillion dollar risk for importers while meeting the requirement to pro-tect Australian agriculture from the in-troduction of exotic pests and diseases.Phosphorus and nitrogen movement from agricultural land was an issue gain-ing increasing attention across Australia

and particularly in the catchment of the Great Barrier Reef, an international environmental icon. FIFA engaged in discussion with the Australian govern-ment, state governments, farming orga-nizations and interested NGOs, notably the WWF. Our message was that we rec-ognized the problem of eutrophication, that our industry contributed to it, and that we were intent on playing a posi-tive role in managing it. We backed this message of intent with the development of a national training, accreditation and certification programme, Fertcare®.As a direct result of our engagement, and the effectiveness of Fertcare® as a management tool, regulations and oth-er policy measures have been designed that are consistent with science-based best practice for nutrient management on farms. The programme has strong support, including significant funding, from various levels of government and the integration of Fertcare® into policy responses. It has been independently reviewed, constantly updated, and won a Business and Higher Education Round Table (B-HERT) award in 2012.Based on the success of our engage-ment in public policy on quarantine and environmental issues, in 2013 the in-dustry decided to ensure that we were

prepared to have a similar level of ef-fective engagement across a range of issues identified as areas of risk for the industry. The industry had already de-veloped voluntary codes of practice in a number of risk areas, including fertilizer handling, purchasing, labelling and se-curity. The member code of practice also included some principles, including that claims made in advertising and promot-ing products should be capable of scien-tific substantiation. However, we had no information on how member companies were implementing these principles and codes of practice. At the start of 2014, all members of the association had completed an extensive survey on compliance with the agreed principles and codes of practice. Later in 2014 the industry will produce its first Sustainability and Stewardship report, which will discuss the issues facing the industry and how our programmes and codes of practice are contributing to risk management. The report will also detail our performance in implementing the programmes and codes of practice, so that we have a strong story to tell if and when we need to become actively en-gaged in public policy development in any of the areas covered.

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John Lewis (center) receives an Austra-lian Biosecurity Award (2014), on behalf of Fertilizer Australia, from Minister for Agriculture The Honourable Barnaby Joyce MP and Rona Mellor, Deputy Secretary, Department of Agriculture. The award recognises a significant contri-bution to biosecurity over a number of years.

A demonstration of the Fertcare® Accu-Spread program on the lawns of Parliament House at the official launch of Fertcare® is symbolic of the success in public policy engagement.

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Detailed information about Fertilizer Austra-lia, including the codes of practice and the Fert-care® programme, can be found at www.fertilizer.org.au

ContactNick DrewExecutive Manager, Fertilizer [email protected]


The codes of practice and survey are helping our members to ensure that they meet accepted industry standards in managing a range of risk and compli-ance issues. Based on our experience with quaran-tine and environment policy, the in-dustry is confident that our efforts in sustainability and stewardship across a broader range of issues will enable our effective involvement in future policy development.This broader approach to risk manage-ment and reporting should increase the value and visibility of membership in the association. That prompted members to move to a simpler and clearer name, and in early 2013 the Fertilizer Industry Federation of Australia became Fertilizer Australia.

THE AFRICAN FERTILZER VOLUNTEER'S PROGRAM

With your skills we can build a vibrant fertilizer value chain in Sub-Saharan AfricaIncreasing fertilizer consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa requires mul-tiple interventions. One of these is strengthening the ability of the Af-rican fertilizer value chain to sup-ply fertilizer to smallholder farmers. Therefore, IFA and the African Fer-tilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP) have established a joint initia-tive, the African Fertilizer Volunteers Program (AFVP). AFVP is aimed at mobilizing global expertise in sup-port of increasing smallholder fertil-izer users and usage. Through AFVP, interested parties are given an opportunity to contribute to the development of the African fertilizer value chain by sharing their knowledge, time and expertise in or-der to build capacity and the work-force in Africa. Expertise is sought in a wide range of domains, from proj-ect development and financing to

marketing, through logistics, safety, health and environment in produc-tion, etc. AFVP provides a great opportunity for both retired practitioners and professionals still engaged in the in-dustry to lend a hand in building a vibrant, sustainable fertilizer value chain in Sub-Saharan Africa. AFVP also offers sponsorship opportunities to companies. IFA members are in-vited to build bridges between AFVP and their employee engagement or corporate social responsibility pro-grammes, or their foundations and other philanthropic activities. AFVP was officially launched on 20 February in Marrakech, Morocco. For more information, visit the AFVP website or contact Patrick Heffer at [email protected].

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Sustainability and stewardship

www.afap-partnership.org/afvp

Expertise is sought in a wide range of domains, from project develop-ment and financing to marketing, through lo-gistics, safety, health and environment in pro-duction, etc.

Maintaining productive agriculture and healthy waterways is probably the most important policy issue for the Austra-lian Fertilizer Industry.

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Iodine is an essential element in the human diet, and iodine deficiency

is a significant global health problem. About 2 billion persons suffer from in-sufficient iodine intake, which may im-pair thyroid functioning – negatively af-fecting growth and development in all age groups. Depending on the degree of iodine deficiency, the following may occur: minor cognitive and neuropsy-chological deficits to irreversible mental retardation, brain damage, damage to the foetus, perinatal and infant mortali-ties, and endemic goiter. The most effective way to control iodine deficiency thus far has been through universal salt iodization, which has now reached its limit. Possible causes of re-duced iodine intake with salt include changed diets, with less consumption of iodine-containing bread for breakfast; increased consumption of processed foods (without iodized salt); and less salt intake in order to prevent cardiovascu-lar diseases. A promising alternative approach to controlling mineral malnutrition, espe-cially in developing countries, is based on the biofortification of edible crops. Biofortification is the production of micronutrient-rich plants destined for human consumption. It can be achieved through selection of superior genotypes and improved agronomic approaches. Scientific studies have shown that plants absorb iodine through both roots and leaves. Including iodine in fertilizer for-mulations is a good solution to make sure it is applied homogenously and ef-ficiently. This approach has resulted in adequate iodine fortification of edible parts of crops when the formulation is applied to the rooting zone of hydroponically and soil-grown vegetables (e.g. lettuce, spinach, tomato) or to above-ground plant parts (e.g. of cereals, potato, carrot and onion) with foliar sprays. Research has confirmed that iodine in biofortified food is readily bioavailable

and assimilated. Importantly, the iodine content in these crops was preserved af-ter common cooking procedures. The benefits of iodine-enriched fertil-izers are directly related to addressing one of the main global human health problems, and to the fundamental role the fertilizer industry plays in growing healthy and nutritious foods for human well-being. Offering iodine-enriched fertilizers may be part of the social re-sponsibility programmes of some fertil-izer companies.SQM has been actively supporting scien-tific research related to iodine biofor-tification of crops. One scientific paper about iodine uptake of hydroponic let-tuce received the Bram Steiner Award from the Royal Agricultural Society of

the Netherlands1. This biennial award is granted for a ground-breaking publica-tion in the field of plant nutrition.Studies conducted so far have demon-strated encouraging results in increas-ing iodine concentrations in food crops. However, more research is required to study iodine uptake from iodine-enriched fertilizers in various crops un-der different cultivation methods and growing conditions in order to market iodine-biofortified foods in a cost-effec-tive manner.

1 Voogt, W., H.T. Holwerda and R. Khod-abaks. 2010. Biofortification of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) with iodine: the ef-fect of iodine form and concentration in the nutrient solution on growth, de-velopment and iodine uptake of lettuce grown in water culture. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture Vol. 90 (5): 906-913.

ContactHarmen Tjalling HolwerdaGlobal Market and Product Development DirectorWater-Soluble Specialty Plant NutritionSQM Europe N.V., [email protected]

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Trial overview with lettuce, submitted to iodine-enriched fertilizer solution.

BIOFORTIFICATION OF CROPS WITH IODINE

Enriched fertilizers improve human iodine nutritionby Harmen Tjalling Holwerda

IFA looks forward to welcoming you in Sydney for its 82nd Annual

Conference where about 1000 participants are expected!

TUESDAY 27 MAY

Esin Mete

IFA President and CEO of Tekfen Holding’s Agri-Division and Chairwoman of Toros Agri-Industry Group.

2014 IFA Norman Borlaug Award

by the winner Dr. Xuhua Zhongof the Rice Research Institute Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China

IFA is pleased to recognize Dr. Zhong’s exemplary extension work on nitrogen use efficiency. The recognition of his work is most relevant given the Chinese context in which nitrogen use efficiency improve-ments have come to the forefront of the sustainable development agenda.

Conference sponsors

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Ann Tutwiler

Director General, Biodiversity International

Why biodiversity matters and the role of fertilizers.

Achim Steiner

Executive Director, UN Environmental Program

Video address: the role of nutrient management as a global challenge for the agricultural sector.

Mark Sutton

Centre for Ecology and Hydrology

Reactive nitrogen: key scientific findings, and update on major initiatives.

Howard Minigh

President, CropLife International

Product stewardship efforts of the crop protection and Ag Biotech industry.

Matt Linnegar

CEO, Australian Farmers’ Federation

How do Australian farmers practice nutrient stewardship?

Nutrient performance and stewardship

The roundtable will provide an overview of key issues and de-bates pertaining to nutrient stewardship and nutrient use efficiency and end with an overview of IFA activities in this area.

Medium-Term Outlook for World Agriculture and Fertilizer Demand: 2013/14 - 2018/19 Patrick Heffer, Senior Director IFA Agriculture Service

Fertilizers and Raw Materials - Global Supply 2014 to 2018Michel Prud'homme, Senior Director, IFA PIT Service

TUESDAY 27 MAY

WEDNESDAY 28 MAY

Michael Harris

Chief Economist, Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences

Research findings and recommen-dations on how the world can best meet the growing demands of the agricultural sector.


Customized fertilizers for 4R nutrient stewardship by A.K. Nair, S.V.S. Subrahmanyam and M.N. Bhaskaran

Farmer outreachThis article is the third in the series of “innovative ideas on effective last-mile delivery” undertaken by IFA members.

Customized Fertilizers (CFs) are unique, ready-to-use granulated

fertilizers designed to optimize the use of nutrients in order to obtain qual-ity crops, high farm productivity and profitability. The Government of India designated Customized Fertilizers as a separate category under the Fertilizer Control Order, effective from 2008. NFCL is the first company in India to receive official approval for Customized Fertiliz-ers from the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, the Ministry of Agri-culture and the Government of India for manufacture and marketing. Specific guidelines on the process of ap-proving Customized Fertilizer formula-tions manufactured for sale have been issued by the Government of India. This process includes the selection of a tar-geted geographical location/cluster; col-lection of agro-ecological and socio-eco-nomic information about the location/cluster; selection of the crop or cropping system; collection of soil samples, lab analysis, and identification of limiting nutrients and availability status; deriva-

tion of Customized Fertilizer (CF) formu-lations using crop models and decision support systems; trial manufacture of CF formulations; conducting multi-location on-farm trials at specific geographical locations with variable rates; compila-tion of information and finalization of optimum rates; obtaining official ap-proval from the Government of India; market promotion; and manufacturing and marketing of officially approved CFs. The CF development process is com-plex, but the end results are very prom-ising.A team of soil scientists, agronomists, crop experts and field supervisors will be involved in the evolution of Custom-ized Fertilizers. A state-of-the-art labo-ratory facility has been established to analyze soil, plant and fertilizer samples. A team of engineers and technicians will also be involved in the manufacture of Customized Fertilizers before field trials begin. A group of market promotion experts will raise awareness of the prod-uct among the farming community and train them on appropriate fertilizer use.

Sales executives and dealers will work with dealers on positioning fertilizers in designated areas. A model illustrating a knowledge transfer protocol for Customized Fer-tilizers has been developed for paddy crop in the agriculturally intensive East and West Godavari Districts of Andhra Pradesh. The right source (geography- and crop-specific Customized Fertilizers) with the right quantity (doses) recom-mended at the right times (i.e. at three critical crop stages) with the right place-ment (basal, topdress) are indicative of 4R stewardship and the promotion of Fertilizer Best Management Practices (FBMPs) (see figure).

Provision of fertilizer products and services together to the farming community – the cluster conceptTo encourage farmers to accept and adopt the plant nutrition solutions of-fered to them, NFCL has evolved and put into practice the cluster concept. There are three stages:

Stage 1. Awareness A group of villages was adopted by the market development team ahead of the cropping season. In these cluster villag-es a survey was conducted and a group of progressive farmers was identified, based on criteria developed internally. Appropriate communications were es-tablished and training sessions were or-ganized by experts, in which the need for balanced fertilization to improve productivity and profitability and the use of Customized Fertilizers were ex-plained (including methods and quanti-ties needed at different stages of crop growth). NFCL has developed technical films about FBMPs on crop production technology and product awareness,

A model of technology transfer on usage of customized fertilizers for paddy crop in a designated geography, illustrating 4R nutrient management stewardship.

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which are screened across the cluster villages using audiovisual vans. As a result of this cluster-based out-reach approach, large numbers of farm-ers across the state of Andhra Pradesh have used Customized Fertilizers and benefited in terms of improved produc-tivity and farm incomes. NFCL plans to reach out to the farming community in other states across India over the next few years.

Stage 2. ImplementationDuring the cropping season, fertiliz-ers will be supplied to groups of farm-ers who are taught appropriate ways to apply them. Development officers and their teams will work with them throughout the season, helping them to adopt these practices. Several observa-tions will be made during crop growth. Just before the harvest, other farmers will be invited to witness the effect of Customized Fertilizers and will be given the opportunity to interact and have any doubts they have clarified. Dealers and government officials will be invited to participate.

Stage 3. EvaluationDuring the third phase, an intensive evaluation process will take place and farmer feedback will be recorded. Farm-ers will be asked to express their opin-ions freely about the product and yields obtained, while comparing their prac-tices, quality of produce, pest/disease in-cidence, costs of fertilizers, profits, etc. Neighbouring farmers will be invited to participate in discussions. At this stage, government officials, crop experts and the media will also be involved. Success-ful farmers will receive due recognition of their efforts.Efficient use of fertilizers by farmers requires not only rigorous in-house scientific activity, but also provision of appropriate services to farmers. Each programme needs to be evaluated and refined, so that knowledge and infor-mation are adequately transferred to farmers and further diffused to their counterparts. Farmer-to-farmer dissemi-nation of information is important, as farmer opinion is a powerful medium. Keeping this in view, NFCL gives pivotal importance to providing value-added fertilizer products and services together to the farming community.

NFCL has been associated with various programmes organized by the Fertilizer Association of India, a number of public institutes, the Department of Agricul-ture and Cooperation and the Govern-ment of India. It partners with them in creating value for farmers. The most important task has been to raise aware-ness among various key players, in order to make this concept acceptable at dif-ferent levels. Officials from NFCL have made significant contributions to such programmes. NFCL has evolved several customized plant nutrition solutions for the farming community of Andhra Pradesh, India, on primary crops (rice, maize, cotton, chillies) and is moving ahead to work on other important crops and in other agriculturally important regions. Since this is a relatively new initiative, more support and encouragement will be required from the government to take the concept forward and facilitate mak-ing efficient fertilizer products and ap-propriate services available to farmers, thus strengthening our commitment to “Serving Society through Industry”.

ContactDr Arun. K. Nair General ManagerCustomized FertilizersNagarjuna Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd (NFCL)Punjagutta, Hyderabad, India [email protected]

For more information on nutrient stew-ardship, consult the new IFA website:www.fertilizer.org/NutrientStewardshipand alsowww.fertilizer.org/FarmerStewardship

Evaluation and review sessions with farmers.

Raising awareness of Customized Fertili-zers through interactive sessions and an audio-visual education campaign.

Interaction with farmers and field visits during the implementation phase.

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Dr. Xuhua Zhong is the 2014 IFA Nor-man Borlaug Award laureate for his ex-emplary extension work on nitrogen use efficiency. The recognition of his work is most relevant given the Chinese context in which nitrogen use efficiency im-provements have come to the forefront of the sustainable development agenda.Since the early 1990s, rice production in China was beset with low nitrogen use efficiency resulting in high production cost, low yields, low profits for farmers and negative impacts on the environ-ment. Dr. Zhong, who has been working on rice nutrient management, devel-oped the “three controls” technology: control of fertilizer N input, control of unproductive tillers and control of pest and diseases. The technology consists of determining the right N fertilizer rate, and applying this at the right time, i.e. splitting the application at key growth stages. The technology also includes de-termination of the amount and timing of phosphorus and potassium require-ments and other crop management measures. With the ”three controls” technology, nitrogen recovery efficiency increased from less than 30% for farm-ers' practice to 40%. Farmers can now save on inputs such as fertilizer-N and pesticide sprays and still achieve a 10% increase in grain yield, giving extra in-come to farmers. The new technology was officially recommended to rice farm-ers by the Ministry of Agriculture, China.Dr. Zhong developed numerous innova-tive materials and tools to make his ex-

tension work easier for farmers to take up. The “three controls” technology is web based and has been transposed into leaflets, CDs and videos which are wide-ly used and distributed in many farmer training courses in the provinces, coun-ties, towns, and villages. The “three con-trols” technology is now one of the most widely adopted rice-growing technolo-gies in China. Dr. Xuhua Zhong is a crop physiologist and is currently the head of the Crop Physiology and Ecology Laboratory at the Rice Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences. He obtained his Ph.D in plant physiology from South China Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Dr. Zhong was nominated by Shenzhen Batian Eco-typic Engineering Co., Ltd. and he was selected by an independent selection panel. The laureate will accept his award at the Opening Session of the IFA Annual Conference on Tuesday, 27 May 2014 in Sydney, Australia.


2014 IFA Norman Borlaug Award laureateFor excellence in crop nutrition knowledge transfer

IFA Norman Borlaug Award Consistent with its current emphasis on last-mile delivery, IFA recognizes that research alone is not enough to achieve meaningful progress at the farm level. Effective knowledge trans-fer is needed for the wider adoption of improved nutrient management practices. In that connection, IFA rec-ognizes researchers who have success-fully communicated the outcome of their work to the farmers.

IFA news2015 IFA Norman Borlaug Awardfor exellence in crop nutrition research The 2015 award is for developed coun-tries and international research and de-velopment centers/institutes.Information on the nomination process will be posted in July 2014 at www.fertilizer.org/AwardBorlaug

New IFA video

IFA launched a new video presenting the association's objectives and activities. www.fertilizer.org/BecomeMember

The critical role of fertilizer innovation to ensure food securityOpening remarks by IFA's president Ms Esin Mete at IFA’s Global Technical Sym-posium in April 2014.Download the speech: www.ifa-amsterdam2014.org/

Climate change thematic discussion: feeding an increasing population while tackling climate changeC. Hebebrand. World Farmers' Organi-zation, General Assembly, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 25-29 March 2014Dowload the presentation:www.fertilizer.org//En/Knowledge_Re-sources/Library/IFA_Secretariat_Presen-tations.aspx

2014 IFAGlobal Technical Symposium

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IFA events

More information on upcoming events: www.fertilizer.org/ifaevents

*Restricted to IFA member companies

May 2014 11

PIT Production and Inter-national Trade Conference29–30 September 2014Beijing, China PRThis event offers an excellent opportunity to interact with

senior executives from major international fertilizer produc-ers and trading companies. A special emphasis will be placed on supply-related issues. This conference is designed by the IFA Production and International Trade Committee for all IFA members and for the first time also for non-members.

IFA Crossroads Asia-Pacific 201428–30 October 2014SingaporeFocusing on the pivotal Asian region and Pacific basin, IFA

Crossroads Asia-Pacific attracts some 300 participants in at-tendance. This event is organized under the guidance of the Regional Vice Presidents for all IFA members with an inter-est in Asia and the Pacific as well as newcomers acquainting themselves with the Association in view of potential mem-bership.

Nutrient/fertilizer use efficiency: measurement, current situation and trendsby Paul Fixen, Frank Brentrup, Tom Bruulsema, Fernando Garcia, Rob Norton and Shamie Zingore

Events 2015Joint Agriculture and Communications Meeting13-15 January, Paris, France

Global Safety Summit23-26 March, Vancouver, Canada

83rd IFA Annual Conference25-27 May, Istanbul, Turkey

Nutrient use efficiency (NUE) is a criti-cally important concept in the evalua-tion of crop production systems. It can be greatly impacted by fertilizer man-agement as well as by soil- and plant-water management. The objective of nutrient use is to increase the overall performance of cropping systems by providing economically optimum nour-ishment to the crop while minimizing nutrient losses from the field. NUE ad-dresses some but not all aspects of that performance. Therefore, system optimi-zation goals necessarily include overall productivity as well as NUE. The most appropriate expression of NUE is deter-mined by the question being asked and often by the spatial or temporal scale of interest for which reliable data are avail-

able. In this chapter we suggest typical NUE levels for cereal crops when recom-mended practices are employed; howev-er, such benchmarks are best set locally within the appropriate cropping system, soil, climate and management context. Global temporal trends in NUE vary by region. For N, P and K, partial nutrient balance (ratio of nutrients removed by crop harvest to fertilizer nutrients ap-plied) and partial factor productivity (crop production per unit of nutrient ap-plied) for Africa, North America, Europe, and the EU-15 are trending upwards, while in Latin America, India, and China they are trending downwards. Though these global regions can be divided into two groups based on temporal trends, great variability exists in factors behind

the trends within each group. Numer-ous management and environmental factors, including plant water status, in-teract to influence NUE. In similar fash-ion, plant nutrient status can markedly influence water use efficiency. These relationships will be covered in detail in other chapters of the book.

Chapter 1. IFA, IWMI, IPNI and IPI, April 2014. 30 p. Download the pdf file at www.fertilizer.org/Library.

The upcoming publication Managing Water and Fertilizer for Sustainable Ag-ricultural Intensification by IFA, IWMI, IPNI and IPI is due to be published dur-ing the fourth quarter of 2014.

40th IFA Enlarged Council Meeting*

19-20 November 2014Marakech, Morocco

The situation and outlook for the fertilizer industry are examined in this meeting, during which members of the IFA Council and chief executives of its member companies convene to adopt the following year’s budget.

http://www.fertilizer.org/HomePage/EVENTS/IFA-events.html/2013-IFA-PIT-Conference


nutrients. Under-standing these basic living and lifeless processes and their interactions will get viable solu-tions into the pipeline.” To wit, research-ers know, for example, that microorgan-isms and fungi can extend root length to exploit soil nutrients, and that plant roots excrete organic acids to pull more phosphorus from the soil. But before such knowledge can be exploited, these – along with other biological processes – must be better understood. By providing protocols for research based on the les-sons learned from the published reports, the VFRC and its collaborating partners waste no time with trial-and-error but rather focus on truly viable options both in improving current fertilizer technol-ogy for today and creating novel fertil-izer technologies for tomorrow.The VFRC Reports underpin the Cen-ter’s research into the next generation of fertilizer technologies: www.vfrc.org/Research/VFRC_Reports.

Printed with vegetable-based ink by Point44 on paper from sustainably managed forests.

International Fertilizer Industry Association28, rue Marbeuf, 75008 Paris, FranceTel: +33 1 53 93 05 00 Fax: +33 1 53 93 05 45/[email protected] www.fertilizer.org @FertilizerNews!

Fertilizers & Agriculture is a quarterly newsletter published by IFA covering issues in relation to fertilizers and sustainable agriculture.

Mailing listSubscription to Fertilizers & Agriculture is free of charge. To receive a hard copy, send full address details to be added to the mailing list. Additional copies may be supplied to organizations to circulate on behalf of IFA. To consult current and past issues of Fertilizers & Agriculture: www.fertilizer.org/newsletters

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VFRC creates new scientific protocols for developing novel fertilizers

The Virtual Fertilizer Research Center (VFRC) has begun to develop a compre-hensive overview of plant and nutrient processes as the basis for the establish-ment of new scientific protocols for fu-ture research. VFRC Executive Director Prem Bindraban argues that by focusing research on basic biological and ecologi-cal processes, the Center and its science partners will be better positioned to quickly bring more efficient and effec-tive fertilizer technologies to market, particularly those that are accessible and affordable to smallholder farmers. To that end, the VFRC and its partners have released five VFRC Reports that be-gin to form a basis for standardization in the Center’s research and develop-ment efforts.“We need to make sure our avenues to arrive at innovative fertilizers are truly scientifically based,” says Bindraban, cit-ing that many studies, for example on foliar spray efficacy, basically employ ad hoc, trial and error experimenta-tion, often without understanding the biological mechanisms assumed to carry nutrients from points of application to points of biological metabolism. “We must truly understand how plant biol-ogy works,” Bindraban notes, “before we can create protocols for effectively develop-ing and testing new nutrient products.” Ac-cording to Bindraban, different plants most likely require different resources – and these may need to be applied in different ways. For instance, improving the yield and nutritional quality of leafy vege-tables through foliar fertilizers may be effective. Yet, improving the quality of cereals through the same mechanism may not be effective if nutrients cannot be translocated from the leaves to the grains.It is essential therefore to understand the biochemical pathways of nutrients.

These complexities in nutrient delivery, uptake and metabolism have led the VFRC to five basic considerations (re-ferred to by the Center as the “Fertilizer Tech5”) when exploring new fertilizer technology: 1- composition (what combination of

nutrients), 2- packaging (in what chemical form or

carrier), 3- application (in what way), 4- crop (on what plant) and 5- ecosystem (what ecological and envi-

ronmental condition).A good example of the Tech5 concept can be seen in current research on le-gumes. While most legumes symbi-otically use Rhizobium to fix nitrogen, they remain very difficult to grow in many parts of the world without an ad-equate supply of phosphorus (composi-tion), and they also may not grow well in soils lacking sufficient micronutrients such as copper, zinc or molybdenum. Further, in what form will the phospho-rus or secondary and micronutrients be applied (packaging) – as a liquid or solid? As a blend or singularly? Can we ‘bypass’ the soil as a nutrient-providing medium through foliar application of some nutrients? Are they being grown in a cycle or intercropped (ecosystem)? How should the nutrient be applied (ap-plication)? If legumes are being grown

singularly, foliar sprays could be cost-effective for a farmer, whereas if intercropped, a blend may be more effective, depending on the other plant being intercropped (crop).

“If we want solutions, we have to think out of the box, but we have to do it in the most thoughtful way possible,” says Bindraban. “That means that instead of myopically focusing on the ‘lifeless’ chemical processes that produced the last big breakthrough in fertilizer tech-nology (that took place over the past 50 to 100 years), we have to focus on the ‘living’ biological processes and instruct the chemists how to best ‘package’ the

We need to make sure our avenues to arrive at innovative fertilizers are truly scientifically based.