Still, China is the world leader in patent and journal publications overall (See SI Fig. & S5) throughout the 2001-2021 decade. This is not surprising since China is the primary world market for controlled-release fertilizers. In addition, China agricultural policies from 2017 and the 14th Five-Year National Agricultural Green Development Plan published in 2021 emphasize the promotion of green and more sustainable agricultural practices and crop production modes utilizing agricultural wastes and manures (as detailed in a USDA foreign Agricultural Service Global Agricultural Information Network report). However, in a related analysis, it was noted that agricultural support practices (direct and indirect subsidies) that encourage improved agricultural productivity, may encourage fertilizer use methods and farming practices which may not be well-aligned with policies on environmental sustainability. The overall pattern in agricultural patent filings in China may be due to conflicting incentives in the Chinese agricultural or patent systems, or imperfections in their implementation.