New plant technology to help farmers reduce fertiliser waste
Researchers have developed 'sentinel' plant technology that changes color to signal nitrogen deficiency, allowing farmers to optimize fertilizer use. This innovation aims to reduce environmental waste and lower input costs for agricultural producers.
Why it matters
Improving fertilizer efficiency is vital for sustainable agriculture and reducing the environmental impact of nitrogen runoff.
A new plant technology that enables crops to signal nitrogen deficiency could help farmers determine when and where to apply fertiliser, potentially reducing excessive use and improving crop management.
A Professor of Plant Breeding and Genetics at Cornell University, Michael Gore, who made this known when he delivered the keynote address at the 9th International Plant Phenotyping Symposium (IPPS9) in Accra, said the discovery was important because nitrogen was the largest input expense for many growers, yet up to half of the fertiliser applied was wasted.
He explained that the excess was washed into the environment, causing what he described as an "environmental catastrophe", while fertiliser costs had risen sharply because of the Iran war.
The sentinel plants, he said, offered a solution by replacing slow and costly soil and tissue testing with real-time visual signals.
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