Innovation and industrial development of green efficiency fertilizers in China

Green efficiency fertilizers are characterized of controlled nutrient supply, higher nutrient-use efficiency, and low risk of environmental pollution, represent one of the development trends in global fertilizer industry. The research and development of green efficiency fertilizer in China started in 1970s and 1980s, after more than 40 years of rapid development, the green efficiency fertilizer has realized industrialized production. The annual output of green efficiency fertilizers have reached 20 million tons, and applied in more than 500 million mu (33 million hectare) of farmland, increasing crop yield by10 billion kilograms and saving fertilizer input by 2 million tons. The green efficiency fertilizers in China can be calssified into four categories, according to their yield and nutrient efficiency promotion paths: the slow-release fertilizer by controlling nutrient release through coating technology; the stabilized fertilizer by addition of urease inhibitors and/or nitrification inhibitors to regulate urea/N transformation; the urea formaldehyde fertilizer by addition/condensation reaction to form UF slow-release fertilizers to slow down the hydrolysis of urea in soil; and the value-added fertilizer in which bioactive organic synergists were added to coordinate the nutrient supply and absorption in the “fertilizer-crop-soil” system comprehensively. The green efficient fertilizer research and production in the near future should focus on the following aspects: 1) Increase yield with equal or less nutrient input, or maintain yield with less nutrient input. 2) Integrated yield increase function through harmonious “fertilizer-crop-soil” system, at the core of stimulating the root absorption ability. 3) Fertilizers with multiple beneficial functions in crop quality, resistance to stress, conservation and remediation of soil. 4) Research and usage of degradable natural/plant-sourced materials with characteristics of bioactivity, safe to human and environment. 5) Increasing fertilizer efficiencies through the cross amalgamation of multiple disciplines, in multiple ways and mechanisms. 6) Trying to realize the simultaneous production of green efficiency fertilizers with common fertilizers device, to achieve high production capacity in low cost, avoiding the second procession. 7) Meeting the requirement of nutrient supply and simplified fertilization and mechanic operation at the same time.