A $17-million national research program will evaluate the use of enhanced efficiency fertilisers, aiming to reduce on-farm emissions and nitrogen loss for grain growers
With sustainability front of mind and costs of nitrogen fertilisers increasing, a four-year national research program has been established to test the viability of enhanced efficiency fertilisers (EEFs).
The four-year, $17.33 million project will be led by the University of Melbourne, with investment from the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), in partnership with multiple research organisations and industry partners – including CSBP Limited, Incitec Pivot Fertilisers, Nutrien Ag Solutions, N-Shield and Fertiliser Australia.
EEFs use chemical or physical approaches to regulate the release of nitrogen and its availability to plants, to reduce the risk of nitrogen loss. These fertilisers achieve this by better synchronising the supply of fertiliser to the demands of a crop.
Project lead and associate professor Helen Suter, from the University of Melbourne, says while several EEF technologies are commercially available, little is known about their efficacy in different climates and agroecosystems, and their economic and environmental benefits to the grains industry.
“Growers are looking for recommendations of what technologies work where, when, why and how, to make informed decisions about their nitrogen management strategies,” Suter says.
As part of the project, a network of field trials in representative soils and cropping systems will be established across the nation, where commercially available EEF technologies will be put to the test alongside conventional nitrogen fertilisers.
The EEF technologies will include urease inhibitors (to reduce ammonia loss), nitrification inhibitors (to reduce nitrous oxide, nitrogen and leaching loss), dual (urease and nitrification) inhibitors and controlled release fertilisers (both targeting all loss pathways).
EEFs trialled will target key nitrogen loss mechanisms (denitrification, nitrate leaching, volatilisation) in different cropping regions and measure crop nitrogen uptake to determine nitrogen use efficiency and return on investment. This will be achieved using nitrogen-15 stable isotope labelled fertilisers, allowing the fate of fertilisers to be tracked in soils and plants.
GRDC sustainable cropping systems manager Cristina Martinez says EEFs have been raised across several GRDC National Grower Network forums, particularly in Western Australia, and were front-of-mind for many growers – given increasing sustainability requirements.
“Enhanced efficiency fertilisers are a potential option for reducing on-farm greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while also improving nitrogen use efficiency,” Martinez says.
With current adoption of EEFs low among grain growers, Martinez says this is due to premium prices compared to standard fertiliser products, uncertainty about how they perform and return on investment.
The four-year research program aims to address these queries by demonstrating the effectiveness of these technologies and by providing growers with clear recommendations on what performs best, to maximise return on investment.
Project research partners include the University of Melbourne, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Western Australia, University of Queensland, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, CSIRO, Queensland Department of Environment and Science, Queensland University of Technology, La Trobe University, Birchip Cropping Group and South Australia’s Hart Field Site Group.