Prem Bindraban

Changing the Fertilizer Game

Executive Director, VRFC

Towards innovative fertilizers for food and nutrition security

Virtual Fertilizer Research Centerpresented by

Dr. Prem S. Bindraban

Fertilizer Industry Round TableSavannah, 18‐20 November 2014

pbindraban@vfrc.org

Virtual Fertilizer Research Center• The VFRC is

–A research initiative to foster the creation of the next generation of fertilizers and production technologies

– to help feed the world’s growing population and provide sustainable food security

Semi‐autonomous unit of 

Basic processes

Soil weatheringP, K, Mg, S, Ca, Fe, Mn, Zn, B, Mo, Cu, Cl, …

N-fixation(legumes)

Livestock

Consumptionby humans

Natural ecosystems

FertilizerManufacture

& Mining

Cereal Yields (ton per hectare)

Inert N2 into reactive N

Inert P, K, … into reactive P, K, …

NPK

(N2O), (NOx), (NH3)

(NO3‐), (PO4

3‐) 

20‐80% lost

Basic concepts

Livestock

Consumptionby humans

Natural ecosystems

FertilizerManufacture

& Mining

Cereal Yields (ton per hectare)

NPK

Food60 Mt N4 Mt PAnnually

105 Mt N18 Mt P

Annually105 Mt N ‐ Recycle18 Mt P ‐ Recycle

NPK

Instantaneous uptake

Global production, acreage, N‐use

Source: FAOstat

tonston/ha

0

100

200

300

400

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

Inde

x va

lue

year

ha

fert

ilize

rN

(bi

llion

kg)

100

50

7

Hysteresis / recycling

Sattari et al., 2012. PNAS 109 (16): 6348–6353Senthilkumar et al., 2014. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 87: 97–108

France country‐scale P recycling 50%

Hysteresis in P uptake vs. P application; 1965 and 2007 (Western Europe)

Hardly any increase in application rate expected up to 2050 (Western Europe)

Health & yield impacts of deficits

Zn deficiencies

Bouis, Boy

‐Gallego

and Meenakshi(201

1)

Micronutrient Malnutrition (% prevalence)

(Lack of) Fertilizers and Poverty

Infield Outfield

Slide Ken Giller (Wageningen UR)

Planetary BoundariesFrom Holocene 

to AnthropoceneRockstrom et al., 2009

J.G. Conijn, F.J. de Ruijter, J.J. Schröder and Prem S. Bindraban. 2013. Methodology to assess the impact of fertilizer strategies on planetary boundaries. VFRC Report 2013/3. Virtual Fertilizer Research Center, Washington, D.C. 21 pp.; 1 table; 3 figs.; 38 ref.

Global role for fertilizers / industry

• Food security• Increase production volume, reduce risk

• Ecologically sustainable production• Maintain soil health, water quality, biodiversity• Reduce Green House Gas emissions, ;land expansion

• Poverty alleviation• Ensure income and livelihood

• Improvement human health• Better food quality

VFRC driver to meet societal objectives of fertilizers

The pharmaceutical and seed industries spend billions on R&D.

Pfizer, Glaxo, Merck ~ 16% of revenues is invested in R&D spending

Syngenta, Monsanto ~ 9% of revenues is invested in R&D spending

~ 0.1% of revenues in R&D for new products and new technologies

Industry Research and Development Spending

Fuglie et al., 2011. Research Investments and Market Structure in the Food Processing, Agricultural Input, and Biofuel Industries Worldwide. ERR‐130. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Econ. Res. Serv. December 2011.

Optimize intensification

Bindraban et al. 2009. PRI, Wageningen UR, Report 242. 

0

2

4

6

8

10

0 2 4 6 8 10

maize

yield(ton

/ha)

cultivation area (mln ha)

Western Europe

Western Africa

!

Marcel Galiba

Ecological synergy

46 kg P2O5 ha‐1

0 kg P2O5 ha‐1

Bindraban, Löffler, Rabbinge, 2008. Int. J. Techn & Glob, 4 (3): 276–295 15

1000 200N rate (kg ha–1)

Grain yield  (ton ha

–1)

0

4

8

12Synergy between nutrients

Water produ

ctivity

 (m3 ton–

1 )

50 10yield (ton ha–1)

0

5

10

Water produ

ctivity

(m3kg

–1)

Rockström, 2003. Phil. Trans. 

R. Soc. Lon

d. B 358. O

n‐line

Use efficiency increase with higher yield level

Schlegel & Havlin, 1995. 

J. Prod

. Agric, 8: 181

‐185

R2 = 0.84

R2 = 0.68

0 100 200 300 400 500 600

Europe-15 (N=14)Cer

eal y

ield

s (t

ha)

2000

1961

2000 400 600N rate (kg ha–1)

Cereal yield  (ton ha

–1)

0

3

6

9

Europe-15 (N=14) R2 = 0.01

R2 = 0.02

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Sub Sahara Africa (N=28)

N rate (kg ha–1)2000 400 600N rate (kg ha–1)

Cereal yield  (ton ha

–1)

0

3

6

9

Sub Sahara Africa (N=28)

Improved agronomic package Lack of synergy at low levels;Use efficiencies extremely low

Production potentials African continent

Conijn, J.G., et al., Bindraban., 2011. PRI, Wageningen UR.

Current yield Yield gap

1 – 2 t/ha3 – >5 t/ha

17

The enormityof Africa

Fertilizer Nutrient Composition

• Poor soils– No/poor crop response to NPK– Soil amendment needed (Organic Matter, Lime, …)

– Micronutrient deficiencies• ISFM to include micronutrient containing fertilizers

• Human induced micronutrient deficiencies (India, …)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Control NPK+Manure

NPKno

manure+SMNs

Maize Yield M

t ha‐

1

Burundi, average of 16 sites 

Data: John Wendt ‐ IFDC

• Well‐endowed soils: NPK suffice to increase yield– Europe, Coastal regions US, Coastal regions China, Indo‐Ganges India, Indonesia  Green revolution

Spatial ground rulesGeneric modelling

Farm experiments

(micro‐) nutrients recommendations

(Micro) nutrient uptake• 10 kg S/ha• 2‐3 kg Zn/ha• 1 kg B/ha

Uptake efficiency?

• Fe     – 175• Mn – 8• Zn     – 26• Cu     – 4• B       – 5• Mo   – 0.6

• N   – 23500• P    – 3700 • K    – 12600• Mg – 1400• Ca  – 100• S    – 1500

Gram per Ton Maize

Intervention Options

fertilizationFertilizer products

1

losses

air

runoff

leaching4

uptake

soil processes& rooted volume

Soil

unavailable for plants

plant available 

5

3

2

9 10

exudates Micro‐organisms

foliar application

seed coating

stem infusion

6

7

8 11Phyllospherebacteria

harvest

crop residue

Crop product

12

From bulk chemistry to fine‐, bio‐ and nano‐bio‐chemistry

Intake/Uptake

NanoParticle in shoot;Dimkpa

Bulk Chemistry

Delivery mechanismsRecycling

Bio‐, bio‐nano‐chemistry

Leapfrog development

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

N P K SZn B CuMo (All)

N P K SZn B (noCu, Mo)

N P S ZnB Cu Mo(no K)

N P K ZnB Cu Mo(no S)

N P K S BCu Mo(no Zn)

N P K SZn Cu Mo(no B)

5871

4197

3390

50394453 4338

+

Micro / secondary Primary / secondary

Soil Plant

BacPROrganic acids Soil Plant

Bio‐Nano‐PR

AcidsOre

Nano‐APR

Nano‐PR Soil PlantGrinding

Nano/microorganism: Coating/mixing with (micro) nutrients; ContaminantsCompound: NPK Etc

BacIPRBio –industrial acids

P Pathways

Ore

PR

P‐productsAcids

P-G

P-Rec

Research Areas

1. Plant nutrient dynamics & metabolismtiming and amount; entry point plant, exudates, micro‐organisms, …

2. Fertilizer bio‐chemical packaging nutrientschemical, bio‐, bio‐nano, micro‐organism, 

3. Delivery mechanismsspray, infusion, seed coating, granules, prills, bio‐trigger, applicators

4. In the context of selecteda. Geo‐spatially specific fertilizer nutrient combinations and amountsb. Cropping system (vegetables, legumes, cereals, trees, tubers, fiber, plantain, grass, …)c. Agro‐production system (wet/dry/cold, good/poor soil health, microbes)

NanoParticle in shoot;Dimkpa

VFRC Innovative fertilizers

1. Reduce poverty (profitable)

2. Ensure food security (quantity)

3. Fight hidden hunger (quality)4. Minimize risk (targeted)

5. Reduce environmental impact6. Sustain production base (soil, water, biodiversity)

7. Support inclusive growth (women, young people)

8. Minimize resource use (efficiency, re‐use)

• Fail‐safe• Adaptive

• Eco‐sensitive• Economical

Thank You

Innovative fertilizers…A winning game for all