What You Need To Know About Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers

A newly published UF/IFAS review explains how enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEFs) like controlled-release and slow-release varieties can help farmers maximize their yields while reducing their chances of hurting their pocketbooks or the planet.

Hardeep Singh, a UF/IFAS Assistant Professor of cropping systems, is the corresponding author of the document, a product of the institute’s ongoing Nutrient Management Program. It was published in the Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science.

“Enhanced efficiency fertilizer technology is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but it’s an important tool in a broader nutrient management strategy,” Singh says. “Long-term success depends on matching the right fertilizer to the crop, soil, and climate conditions.”

Singh and his co-authors describe how controlled-release fertilizers (CRFs) and slow-release fertilizers (SRFs) provide nutrients gradually as plants need them. These fertilizers accomplish this through features like polymer coatings and microbial induced nutrient release, which limit water solubility and reduce losses.

The UF/IFAS researchers cite previous studies demonstrating the power of EEFs, including one that showed how EEFs could increase tomato yields by 28.58% and rice yields by 20% compared to conventional fertilizers.

EEF use has also been shown to minimize the environmental risks sometimes associated with conventional fertilizers, including nutrient leaching, toxic nutrient concentrations and acidification of soils, according to the review. The UF/IFAS researchers reference 10 studies demonstrating the ability of EEFs to reduce nitrous oxide emissions, including by 90% in sugarcane, by 70% in sorghum, and by 30% in cabbage.

“For growers who have access to localized recommendations and support, EEFs often prove to be a valuable tool,” Singh adds. “Continued field-based research and demonstration are essential to help determine where and when the benefits truly outweigh the disadvantages.”

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Based on Singh’s knowledge of Florida agriculture operations, he estimates between 20% and 30% of growers in the state use EEFs.

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