Multiple Benefits from Optimized Soil and Plant Nutrition Strategies
Economic Profitability
Drought Tolerance
Soil Organic Matter
Uptake Efficiency of NPK
Nutrient Content
0 25
50 75
100 Percent increase from optimized NPK + SMN fertilization relative to basic NPK .
Integrated Soil Fertility Management Balanced fertilization and UDP are part of IFDC ’ s integrated soil fertility management ( ISFM ) approach , which also includes strategies like crop rotation , legume introduction , and integration of crop-livestock systems .
Where continuous cereal cultivation has mined soil nutrients , such as in sub-Saharan Africa , IFDC promotes ISFM practices to reverse the trend of decreasing yields and soil organic matter . The greater biomass resulting from yield increases are incorporated back into the soil to boost soil health . IFDC-assisted farmers in sub-Saharan Africa using ISFM have more than doubled their productivity and increased incomes by 20-50 %. In only a matter of decades , soils benefiting from ISFM can sequester up to 1,000 kilograms of carbon per hectare per year .
Finally , fertilizers are responsible for averting land conversion and deforestation . Fertilizer-related yield intensification on existing agricultural lands preserved 1 billion hectares of land between 1961 and 2005 . Judicious application of balanced fertilizers will continue to prevent land conversion .
INVITATION TO COLLABORATE
An expert in agricultural development and soil fertility for improving farm productivity , IFDC implements research and projects for many partners in both the public and private sectors . The organization seeks creative partnerships with donors , foundations , individual and corporate sponsors , and other organizations to expand its efforts toward a climate-smart and food- and nutrition-secure world .