Wide Variation in Nitrogen Use
- 14 Aug 2024
In August, 2024, Biotechnologists at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGU), New Delhi, found significant variation in nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) among popular Indian rice varieties, which could lead to the development of high-yielding, low-nitrogen varieties.
Key Points
- High Nitrogen Use Efficiency Variation: The study identified up to five times variation in NUE among rice varieties, with some varieties showing much higher efficiency than others.
- Impact of Poor NUE: Inefficient nitrogen use in cereals, particularly rice, wastes fertilizers worth ₹1 trillion annually in India and over $170 billion globally. Poor NUE also contributes to pollution problems such as nitrous oxide and ammonia emissions.
- Need for Improved Crop Varieties: While high NUE doesn't always equate to the highest yields, developing rice varieties with better NUE could reduce fertilizer use and environmental impact. Current Indian agriculture primarily focuses on increasing yields, which often leads to greater fertilizer use and pollution.
- Study Findings: The research, published in the Journal of Plant Growth Regulation, revealed that the best-performing rice varieties had significantly better NUE compared to the least efficient ones.
- Biotechnology's Role: To address inefficiencies and pollution, the study emphasizes the need for biotechnological improvements in crop varieties, alongside better fertilizer formulations and crop management practices.
- Potential for New Varieties: The researchers suggest that there is considerable potential in exploring untapped farmers’ varieties and landraces for improved NUE, which could be beneficial for various agroclimatic conditions.
- Global Nitrous Oxide Emissions: India is the second-largest emitter of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas, largely due to fertilizer use. The study highlights the urgency of finding more efficient rice varieties to mitigate these emissions.
