Green intelligent fertilizers—A novel approach for aligning sustainable agriculture with green development

doi:10.15302/J-FASE-2024547

Front. Agr. Sci. Eng.

2024, Vol. 11

Issue (1) : 186-196 https://doi.org/10.15302/J-FASE-2024547

Green intelligent fertilizers—A novel approach for aligning sustainable agriculture with green development

Maoying WANG¹, Lingyun CHENG¹, Chengdong HUANG¹, Yang LYU¹, Lin ZHANG¹, Zhenya LU¹, Changzhou WEI², Wenqi MA³, Zed RENGEL^4,⁵, Jianbo SHEN¹(

), Fusuo ZHANG¹(

)

¹. State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant–Soil Interactions (Ministry of Education), China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
². College of Agronomy, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, China
³. College of Resources and Environmental Science, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071000, China
⁴. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
⁵. Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation, Split 21000, Croatia

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Abstract

● The pursuit of green development faces challenges of environmental impacts and low resource-use efficiency in fertilizer production.

● Green intelligent fertilizers can be designed to harness the synergy among plants, soils, microorganisms, nutrient sources and the environment.

● New strategies are proposed to align with the principles of green development in both industry and agriculture.

● Green intelligent fertilizers highlight a path toward harmonizing fertilizer production with the imperatives of green agriculture.

This review addresses the growing disparity between the current state of fertilizer production in China and the evolving demands of green agriculture in the 21st century. It explores major advances in fertilizers, proposes the concept of green intelligent fertilizers and develops new strategies aligned with the principles of green development in fertilizer industry and agriculture. Green intelligent fertilizers may be designed to maximize the synergistic effects among plants, soils, microorganisms, nutrient sources and the environment. This concept emphasizes the integration of industry and agriculture toward green development for entire industry chain, using an interdisciplinary approach to drive the green transformation of fertilizer industry, and promote green and sustainable development of agriculture. By bridging the gap between the current state of fertilizer industry and a growing need for environmentally responsible agricultural practices, this review highlights a path toward harmonizing fertilizer production with the imperatives of green agriculture.

Keywords Root-nutrient feedback green development intelligent fertilizers new fertilizer plant−soil−fertilizer interaction rhizosphere engineering

Corresponding Author(s): Jianbo SHEN,Fusuo ZHANG

Just Accepted Date: 30 January 2024 Online First Date: 23 February 2024 Issue Date: 08 March 2024

Cite this article:

Maoying WANG,Lingyun CHENG,Chengdong HUANG, et al. Green intelligent fertilizers—A novel approach for aligning sustainable agriculture with green development[J]. Front. Agr. Sci. Eng. , 2024, 11(1): 186-196.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fase/EN/10.15302/J-FASE-2024547
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fase/EN/Y2024/V11/I1/186

Tab.1 Differences between common fertilizers and green intelligent fertilizers

Fig.1 Conceptual model and research framework of green intelligent fertilizer.

Fig.2 Proposed pathways for the development of intelligent fertilizers featuring precise nutrient release to meet crop demand. ① The first pathway involves extracting and identifying plant signaling molecules that can modify root systems and attract beneficial microorganisms, thereby enhancing plant nutrient acquisition and resilience to environmental stresses. ② The second pathway focuses on identifying rhizosphere signal molecules produced under stress conditions to inform the design of sensors in intelligent fertilizer. ③ These signaling molecules, either in their original form or following modifications to enhance stability and effectiveness, can be integrated into fertilizers. ④ These sensors release nutrients when exposed to these signaling molecules. Created with BioRender.com.

Fig.3 Technological breakthroughs underpinning production of green intelligent fertilizers for integration of industry and agriculture.

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