Researchers have found that coating urea fertiliser with polymers can significantly decrease the leaching of nitrogen into the environment. Not all nitrogen in fertiliser is usable by plants, so maximising plant uptake of nitrogen and reducing its losses helps minimise the environmental impact. The researchers from the University of Leeds used a combination of polymer coatings to coat the soil around their experimental plots at Rothamsted Research Station, near Cambridge. Its use would improve efficiency and lead to increased crop yield and quality, eliminating the need for further applications later in the year, while reducing atmospheric nitrogen losses.
Researchers have found that coating urea fertiliser with polymers can significantly decrease the leaching of nitrogen into the environment. Not all nitrogen in fertiliser is usable by plants, so maximising plant uptake of nitrogen and reducing its losses helps minimise the environmental impact. The study found that polymer-coated urea (PCU) fertiliser supplied the plant with nitrogen for longer periods of time compared with immediately soluble forms of nitrogen. Its use would improve efficiency and lead to increased crop yield and quality, eliminating the need for further applications later in the year, while reducing atmospheric nitrogen losses.