Instant Insights: Fertiliser Use in Agriculture

Bryan G. Hopkins is a Professor at Brigham Young University and a Certified Professional Soil Scientist. He is the Coordinator for the Soil Science Society of America--North American Proficiency Testing Program. He has degrees from Ricks College, Brigham Young University, and Kansas State University in Agronomy & Horticulture with specialties in soil biophysical chemistry and plant nutrition. He has published dozens of peer reviewed manuscripts and book chapters and hundreds of research reports and given countless presentations.

• Chapter 1 - Organic fertilizers and biofertilizers: Lidia Sas Paszt and Slawomir Gluszek, Research Institute of Horticulture, Poland; 1 Introduction 2 Biofertilizers 3 Consortia of microorganisms to improve the effectiveness of organic fertilization 4 Animal excrement: manures, slurry and guano 5 Products and by-products of animal origin 6 Products and by-products of plant origin for fertilizers 7 Composts 8 Untreated minerals and by-products of selected industrial processes 9 Biochar 10 Conclusion 11 Where to look for further information 12 ReferencesChapter taken from: Köpke, U. (ed.), Improving organic crop cultivation, Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, Cambridge, UK, 2018, (ISBN 978 1 78676 184 2)Chapter 2 - Optimising fertiliser use to maintain soil health: Bijay-Singh, Punjab Agricultural University, India; 1 Introduction 2 Effects of fertiliser use on soil organic matter, carbon and nitrogen 3 Effects of fertiliser use on soil microorganisms 4 Effect of nitrogen fertilisers on soil acidity 5 Site-specific nutrient management (SSNM) 6 Use of controlled and slow-release fertilisers, urease and nitrification inhibitors 7 Improving fertiliser placement 8 Integrated use of mineral fertilisers and organic manures for enhancing soil health 9 Future trends and conclusions 10 Where to look for further information 11 ReferencesChapter taken from: Reicosky, D. (ed.), Managing soil health for sustainable agriculture – Volume 2: Monitoring and management, Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, Cambridge, UK, 2018, (ISBN 978 1 78676 192 7)Chapter 3 - Developments in the use of fertilizers: Bryan G. Hopkins, Brigham Young University, USA; 1 Introduction 2 Nutrient pollution and resource depletion 3 Achieving more sustainable use of fertilizers 4 Developments in nitrogen fertilizers 5 Developments in phosphorus fertilizers 6 Developments in potassium fertilizers 7 Developments in sulfur fertilizers 8 Developments in calcium, magnesium, and micronutrient fertilizers 9 Case study 10 Conclusion and future trends 11 Where to look for further information 12 ReferencesChapter taken from: Rengel, Z. (ed.), Achieving sustainable crop nutrition, Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, Cambridge, UK, 2020, (ISBN 978 1 78676 312 9)Chapter 4 - Decision support systems (DSS) for better fertiliser management: Dhahi Al-Shammari, Patrick Filippi, James P. Moloney, Niranjan S. Wimalathunge, Brett M. Whelan and Thomas F. A. Bishop, The University of Sydney, Australia; 1 Introduction 2 Direct methods for determining crop nitrogen requirements for decision support 3 Indirect methods for determining crop nitrogen requirements for decision support: simulation models 4 Indirect methods for determining crop nitrogen requirements for decision support: yield forecasts using data-driven approaches 5 Indirect methods for determining crop nitrogen requirements for decision support: yield forecasts based on water supply 6 Decision support in action: case studies 7 Case study 1: nitrogen fertiliser applications using a data-driven approach 8 Case study 2: nitrogen fertiliser decision-making based on soil moisture predictions 9 Comparing the two approaches 10 Conclusions and future trends 11 References**Chapter taken from: Armstrong, L. (ed.), Improving data management and decision support systems in agriculture, Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, Cambridge, UK, 2020, (ISBN 978 1 78676 340 2)Chapter 5 - Advances in foliar fertilizers to optimize crop nutrition: Victoria Fernández, Technical University of Madrid, Spain; and Héctor A. Bahamonde, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Argentina; 1 Introduction 2 Importance of absorption for spray effectiveness: key factors involved 3 Application of foliar sprays for sustainable production: applied aspects 4 Conclusion and future trends 5 Where to look for further information 6 ReferencesChapter taken from: Rengel, Z. (ed.), Achieving sustainable crop nutrition, Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, Cambridge, UK, 2020, (ISBN 978 1 78676 312 9)