The Efficient Fertilizer Consortium is a 4.5-year public-private partnership that is funding applied research that accelerates development and wider adoption of novel fertilizers that increase nutrient-use efficiency and reduce loss to the environment through nitrous oxide and other greenhouse gas emissions, leaching, and/or runoff. The Consortium is a vehicle for collaboration and exposure to new ideas that also leverages resources, de-risks research and development and accelerates solutions for end users.
Research priorities include:
- Improve nutrient management, increase fertilizer efficiency and develop fertilizer alternatives to alleviate pressure on both food and fertilizer supply as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Quantify the environmental impact of current and novel fertilizers, provide support for farmers and retailers making management decisions and conduct independent assessments to ground industry claims.
- Improve emissions factors for nitrogen fertilizers to distinguish alternative types and managements and improve accuracy in government and corporate emissions reporting.
- Advance the development of alternative fertilizers to improve efficiency and global access.
- Establish common protocols for field trials looking at agronomic performance and environmental impact.
- Conduct field trials to evaluate enhanced efficiency fertilizers and novel products across a range of geographic locations, climates, soil types and cropping systems.