Ensuring food security and the profitability of your farm is not just about making sure crops have enough of the right nutrients to thrive. Being able to optimise the way they use nutrients is also essential, especially nitrogen use.
Nutrient use efficiency (NUE) refers to how well a plant can use a given nutrient, particularly:
- The availability of the nutrient in certain conditions (soil, weather)
- How well the plant can take up the nutrient
- The ability of the plant to use the nutrient in its essential processes
Increasing nitrogen availability with biofertilisers
Maximising NUE by using biofertilisers helps you make the most of the products you apply, particularly nitrogen. A major macronutrient for plants, nitrogen plays a crucial role in photosynthesis and a plant’s growth, structure, and metabolic processes. Nitrogen loss can be significant and damaging to crops, particularly in those early growth stages.
Biofertilisers, natural products developed using brand-new technology, can be an important part of your nitrogen management plan as well as being a sustainable alternative to chemical fertilisers. They contain nitrogen fixing endophyte bacteria which improve NUE by increasing the availability of nitrogen to your crops. They do this by colonising the plant and then ‘fixing’ nitrogen by converting atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia, a form of nitrogen which plants can readily use. When applied to plants or seeds, the bacteria naturally supplement the nitrogen content of your soil.
This means your crops will have a constantly supply of this essential nutrient which will benefit your farm business by:
- Maximising crop productivity whilst minimising environmental impact. Improving NUE reduces the need for chemical fertilisers. Fertiliser overuse increases the risk of nitrogen leaching and volatilisation, one of the biggest causes of CO2 emissions on farm.
- Helping you cut costs by ensuring you apply only what your crops need.
- Increasing your profits, through improved crop yield quality. Increased nitrogen availability means plants can produce more chlorophyll, leading to greater photosynthesis, and better yields.
- Enhancing soil health and fertility which supports a healthier soil structure, improvements in organic matter, and beneficial microbial activity.
What affects Nutrient Use Efficiency?
Here are some of the different types of abiotic stress which can impact your crops:
