Soil fertilization has been studied for a long time by examining crop yield responses to fertilization applied only on the crop, in an effort to determine the “optimum” rate of application of fertilizers for achieving maximum yield. Farmers in most cases applied fertilizers in excess to ensure avoidance of any yield reduction. This tendency to over-fertilization has been generalized in most industrialized countries within intensive arable cropping systems as a consequence of risk avoidance of farmers and the relatively low ratio between fertilizer costs and outcome prices. The main consequence of this over-fertilization has been the undesirable environmental impacts in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, water quality deterioration, and eutrophication of ecosystems associated with the excess flow of nutrients and water. So the old paradigm on which fertilizer is applied just considering the immediate crop demand must be deeply questioned and reappraised for more sustainable and efficient agroecosystem management.
System Fertilization is a new fertilization concept that relies on biological nutrient cycling between rotation phases to achieve nutrient-use efficiency and thereby reduce mineral nutrient input requirements, avoid losses, and maintain long-term soil health. This approach contrasts with the more typical paradigm of fertilization of individual cash crops within a rotation with minimal regard to residual nutrient stocks and potential organic matter mineralization. Consequently, the residual effect of fertilizers is often ignored and nutrient deficiencies or environmental contamination issues arise. System-level fertilization considers all crops (pastures and cash crops) in the fertilization scheme with rotational carryover (i.e. either directly from inorganic forms or indirectly through organic N mineralization) as key components. Some studies, especially on Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems (ICLS), have indicated that fertilization (N, P, and K) during the previous pasture or cover crops phase may have significant carryover effects on nutrient fertility in the following grain crop. The synchrony between nutrient release and plant demand is of great importance for agroecosystem sustainability. Nutrient uncoupling in real-time determines the efficiency of the nutritional resource use. The condition of higher nutrient availability, especially N, due to the presence of the residual effect from prior fertilization is reflected in the nutritional status of the subsequent crop.
We are interested in reviews and results of research addressing the following:
1. Theoretical articles reviewing the concept of system fertilization
2. Nutrient cycling between crop rotation phases
3. Efficient use and avoidance of fertilization losses
4. System fertilization in integrated crop-livestock systems
5. Effects of soil biology on nutrient cycling
6. Soil and plant indicators and diagnosis tools to assess fertilization carryover
7. Integration of crop nutrition and soil diagnosis with fertilization management decisions
Soil fertilization has been studied for a long time by examining crop yield responses to fertilization applied only on the crop, in an effort to determine the “optimum” rate of application of fertilizers for achieving maximum yield. Farmers in most cases applied fertilizers in excess to ensure avoidance of any yield reduction. This tendency to over-fertilization has been generalized in most industrialized countries within intensive arable cropping systems as a consequence of risk avoidance of farmers and the relatively low ratio between fertilizer costs and outcome prices. The main consequence of this over-fertilization has been the undesirable environmental impacts in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, water quality deterioration, and eutrophication of ecosystems associated with the excess flow of nutrients and water. So the old paradigm on which fertilizer is applied just considering the immediate crop demand must be deeply questioned and reappraised for more sustainable and efficient agroecosystem management.
System Fertilization is a new fertilization concept that relies on biological nutrient cycling between rotation phases to achieve nutrient-use efficiency and thereby reduce mineral nutrient input requirements, avoid losses, and maintain long-term soil health. This approach contrasts with the more typical paradigm of fertilization of individual cash crops within a rotation with minimal regard to residual nutrient stocks and potential organic matter mineralization. Consequently, the residual effect of fertilizers is often ignored and nutrient deficiencies or environmental contamination issues arise. System-level fertilization considers all crops (pastures and cash crops) in the fertilization scheme with rotational carryover (i.e. either directly from inorganic forms or indirectly through organic N mineralization) as key components. Some studies, especially on Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems (ICLS), have indicated that fertilization (N, P, and K) during the previous pasture or cover crops phase may have significant carryover effects on nutrient fertility in the following grain crop. The synchrony between nutrient release and plant demand is of great importance for agroecosystem sustainability. Nutrient uncoupling in real-time determines the efficiency of the nutritional resource use. The condition of higher nutrient availability, especially N, due to the presence of the residual effect from prior fertilization is reflected in the nutritional status of the subsequent crop.
We are interested in reviews and results of research addressing the following:
1. Theoretical articles reviewing the concept of system fertilization
2. Nutrient cycling between crop rotation phases
3. Efficient use and avoidance of fertilization losses
4. System fertilization in integrated crop-livestock systems
5. Effects of soil biology on nutrient cycling
6. Soil and plant indicators and diagnosis tools to assess fertilization carryover
7. Integration of crop nutrition and soil diagnosis with fertilization management decisions