Fertilizer Deep Placement Technology: A Useful Tool in Food Security Improvement
Event Information
Three billion people depend on rice as a staple food crop, and it is cultivated in over 100 countries on 6 continents. The main nitrogen fertilizer application method in rice cultivation is hand-broadcasted urea. However, this surface application process contributes to losses from ammonia volatilization, denitrification, and runoff, leading to the extremely low (35%) efficiency factor in crop uptake of applied nitrogen. From an environmental perspective, many of the N compounds that are released by these processes disrupt natural ecosystems, impair water quality, and contribute to global warming.
Fertilizer Deep Placement (FDP) is an innovative, proven fertilizer application technology that achieves average yield increases of 18 percent while reducing fertilizer use by about one-third. This technology has resulted from IFDC-applied research to improve nitrogen-uptake efficiency. It is a simple, low-cost technology that is extremely well suited to small-scale rice production.
In this seminar our presenters discussed the two elements that characterize FDP: larger fertilizer granules and the physical placement of the super granule below the soil surface, in proximity to the root zone of the plant. They also discussed the benefits of FDP such as mitigation of nitrogen loss mechanisms, improving crop uptake to support yield improvement, and lower application of high cost fertilizers. A brief summary of field experience in FDP technology diffusion in Bangladesh was also provided.
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Speakers
Upendra Singh
IFDC
John H.
IFDC