The plant nutrition domain explores innovative solutions aimed at transforming how we feed plants, ensuring healthier crops and more sustainable farming practices. These innovations strive to maximize nutrient use efficiency, while addressing the large environmental footprint stemming from fertilizer production and over-application.
Plant nutrition is a critical aspect of agriculture, directly influencing crop yields, food quality, and the sustainability of farming systems. While fertilizers play an essential role in feeding plants and boosting their productivity, they can come with significant environmental and ecological costs. The production of synthetic fertilizers is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to climate change. Additionally, their application often results in the release of nitrous oxide—a highly potent greenhouse gas. Excessive fertilizer use can also harm biodiversity, pollute water bodies through runoff, and degrade soil health, ultimately reducing long-term agricultural productivity. Addressing these issues through innovations in plant nutrition is therefore vital for building a sustainable food system.
A range of emerging solutions seek to mitigate these challenges, from developing low-carbon technologies for nitrogen fertilizer production to enhancing nutrient delivery and uptake in the soil. In this domain, we have identified a selection of innovations that aim to improve plant nutrition while reducing the environmental footprint of the agricultural sector.
Explore our interactive maps to navigate the landscape of food system innovations. The systems map visualizes connections between plant nutrition innovations and the projects advancing them, while the world map highlights where these innovations are being developed and tested. Click on any innovation or project to learn more about them.
