Crop nutrition deficiency is one of the most critical issues today with which soil degradation and desertification are associated, in addition to declines in agricultural yields. (1) Among other things, these phenomena could worsen due to the war economy that is depriving European farmers of the availability of nitrogen fertilizers historically supplied by Russia. (2)
The European Parliament, on 3/24/22, had approved the cultivation of fallow land and ecological focus areas–under the guise of food security–without giving up pesticides and agrochemicals. (3) In antithesis to the scientific community that instead recommends moving forward toward ecological transition and agroecology. (4)
Meanwhile, the integrated action plan for nutrient management in agriculture is outlined in the EU. (5) Some insights to follow.
1) Crop nutrition, premise.
Crop nutrition can be understood as the set of agronomic techniques that promote the supply of nutrients to the soil. Having regard mainly to nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium. The nutrition goal can be pursued with several strategies:
(a) Self-production of nutrients through agronomic activities. E.g., crop rotations, waste reuse, non-returnable crops, manure from animal husbandry,
(b) external inputs. We refer to fertilizers and technical means, as classified in the so-called Fertilizers Regulation (6,7). In essence:
– Organic fertilizers, derived from organic materials of animal or plant origin, consisting of organic compounds to which the main fertility elements are bound in organic form or are otherwise an integral part of the matrix that temporarily immobilizes the nutrients incorporated therein (also preserving them from loss through leaching),
– Mineral fertilizers, where the claimed nutrients are present in the form of mineral compounds obtained by extraction and/or industrial physical and chemical processes,
– organo-mineral fertilizers, obtained by reaction or mixture of one or more organic fertilizers or one or more organic matrices with one or more mineral fertilizers.
2) Fertilizers and technical means
The various fertilizers and technical means available have merits and demerits:
– Mineral fertilizers are characterized by rapid action due to their greater solubility. But this advantage is matched by the costs (economic and for the environment) of easy dispersal beyond the targets,
– Organic fertilizers release nutrients progressively but they resist leaching better,
– organo-minerals aspire, with interesting results, to combine the advantages of the two categories.
3) Principles of reasonableness
The principles of reasonableness defined in agronomic practices-essential to the calibrated use of fertilizers and technical means-are embodied in three criteria:
– restitution. Nutrients absorbed by crops must be returned to the soil,
– minimum (or Liebig’s principle). Each plant is limited in its development by the most scarce nutrient element in the soil,
– maximum. The amount of fertilizers should never be excessive, but rather appropriate to the needs of individual crops.
4) Abuse, economic loss, pollution
Failure to follow the principles of reasonableness has generated a number of issues with impacts on farm economies, agricultural systems, and ecosystems:
– Significant alterations in the natural nitrogen and phosphorus cycles do indeed cause nitrate pollution in drinking water and agricultural waters, atmospheric particulate matter, and eutrophication (i.e., choking off life in water). In addition to the loss of biodiversity in soils and watersheds (lakes, rivers and seas), declining productivity, increasing greenhouse gas emissions, (8)
– excesses of nitrogen and phosphorus in ecosystems in Europe have already exceeded internationally identified safe limits, thanks mainly (2/3) to water downstream of agricultural systems. (9) The latest report on the Nitrates Directive reports eutrophication in 81 percent of marine waters, 36 percent of rivers, 32 percent of transitional waters and lakes, and 31 percent of coastal waters. (10)
5) Nutrient management, the integrated action plan.
The critical issues mentioned above-and above all, the need to reduce EU agriculture’s dependence on third-country inputs-have led the Commission to accelerate some of the actions already hinted at in the Circular Economy Action Plan, the Farm to Fork strategy, and the Biodiversity 2030 strategy (11-13).
The action plan integrated nutrient management intends to examine the entire nitrogen and phosphorus cycle with attention to all environmental compartments (air, water, marine environment, and soil) and all sources of pollution (agriculture, industry, cities, waste, energy, transportation) to identify an integrated approach to pollution reduction across all nutrient cycles.
5.1) Objectives
The EU Farm to Fork and Biodiversity 2030 strategies already indicate the goals of:
– Halve nutrient losses,
– Reduce fertilizer use by at least 20 percent, including through
– Significant increase in organically grown crops, which are to reach 25 percent of the utilized agricultural area (UAA) in the EU by 2030.
5.2) Tools
Agroecology is the only model that can contribute to the effective achievement of the stated goals. It is based on the preferred use of native resources in production systems, without affecting (or minimizing) the use of non-renewable environmental capital. The operating model takes the forms of:
– organic farming. Use of a limited group of externalinputs, never chemical synthesis, only in cases of demonstrated need, and
– integrated production. Significant – and demonstrated – reduction in external inputs, while admitting synthetic ones. (14)
6) Biostimulants, precision agriculture
Nutrient management can be applied effectively, even regardless of EU policies by drawing on the technical knowledge currently available. Without neglecting the valuable contributions made by biostimulants, such as mixtures of algae, microalgae and tannins (Algatan), as well as mycorrhizae (15,16).
Precision agriculture, as noted above, can also help collect useful data to better understand and take action on:
– environmental context (climatic conditions, crop precessions, soil type),
– Soil endowment (measurable by analysis of available nutrients),
– needs of the crop.
Donato Ferrucci and Dario Dongo
Cover image from Biostimulants for sustainable crop production ed. Youssef Rouphael; Patrick du Jardin; Patrick Brown; Stefania De Pascale and Giuseppe Colla (ed), 2020, Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, Cambridge, UK (ISBN: 978-1-786-76336-5; https://bdspublishing.com)
Notes
(1) Dario Dongo, Giulia Torre. Desertification and land degradation, PRIMA’s research and innovation. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 22.6.22
(2) Dario Dongo, Maria Rosaria Raspanti. War economy. State aid in agribusiness, European fisheries fund, record high food prices. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 8.4.22,
(3) Dario Dongo.
Food security, thesis and antithesis of the European Parliament.
. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 27.3.22,
(4) Dario Dongo.
From Farm to Fork to Farm to War, science’s call for a resilient food strategy.
. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 22.3.22,
(5) European Commission. Nutrients-action plan for better management. Public consultation 29.3.22-26.4.22. https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12899-Nutrienti-piano-dazione-per-una-migliore-gestione_it
(6) Reg. EU 2019/1009, laying down rules concerning the making available on the market of EU fertilizer products, amending Reg. EC 1069/2009, 1107/2009 and repeal reg. EC 2003/2003. Effective as of 7/16/22. Text updated as of 6/25/19 in Eur-Lex, https://bit.ly/3nQ2cvx
(7) Legislative Decree. 29.4.10, n. 75. Reorganization and revision of fertilizer regulations. Text updated 5/31/22 on Normattiva, https://bit.ly/3OXObI5
(8) Marta Strinati. Phosphorus pollution, how to get out of it. OPF Report. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 14.6.22,
(9) European Environmental Agency (EEA). Is Europe living within the limits of our planet. 17.4.20, https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/is-europe-living-within-the-planets-limits
(10) European Commission. Report on the implementation of Council Directive 91/676/EEC concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources based on Member State reports for the period 2016-2019 (COM/2021/1000 final). https://bit.ly/3IwIFJL
(11) Dario Dongo.
Fertilizers and the circular economy, the new EU rules.
. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 28.11.19,
(12) Dario Dongo. Farm to Fork, resolution in Strasbourg. Focus on pesticides and fertilizers. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 23.10.21,
(13) Dario Dongo, Giulia Torre.
Special – EU 2030 Strategy for Biodiversity, the plan announced in Brussels.
GIFT(Great Italian Food Trade). 31.5.20,
(14) Integrated production is defined as an agri-food production system that uses all means of production and defense of agricultural production from adversities, aimed at minimizing the use of synthetic chemicals and rationalizing fertilization, while respecting ecological, economic and toxicological principles (Law 4/2011, Article 2)
(15) Dario Dongo, Giulia Torre.
Microorganisms and microalgae in agriculture, sustainable innovation.
. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 22.6.20,
(16) Dario Dongo, Andrea Adelmo Della Penna. Biostimulants in olive growing, organic revolution. Scientific Review. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 14.5.21.
Agronomist, master in food law. He deals with certifications and quality systems in the agri-food chain. He collaborates with institutions and universities and is a member of the editorial board of rivistadiagraria.org.
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
