SYDNEY, April 30 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- Replacing part of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser with small amounts of organic inputs can improve soil quality, crop yields and nutrient efficiency, a study has found, as West Asia tensions disrupt global supplies, reported Xinhua.
The study, led by the University of Western Australia (UWA), comes as around 60 per cent of global urea-based nitrogen fertiliser supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz, where geopolitical disruptions have tightened supply and raised costs for Australian growers, said a UWA statement released Thursday.
“Australian growers are seeking efficient use of fertiliser to ensure economic growth and food security,” said Professor Kadambot Siddique from the UWA Institute of Agriculture.
The study, co-authored by Siddique and international research partners from China, shows how adjusting fertiliser strategies with organic and inorganic inputs can maximise agronomic, ecological and economic outcomes.
The research examined a winter wheat-summer maize rotation under different fertiliser strategies.
"Reducing synthetic nitrogen by less than 45 per cent while applying organic fertiliser can maintain productivity without increasing emissions," Siddique said.
Researchers said optimising organic-synthetic nitrogen balance improves fertiliser efficiency, soil quality and cuts agricultural emissions, offering a potential pathway to more resilient agricultural systems under volatile global supply conditions.
-- BERNAMA-XINHUA
