Precision Nutrition- The Role of Nutrient Use Efficiency (NUE) in Next-Gen Agriculture: A Review

Abstract

The long-term use of chemical fertilizers poses a serious threat to crop productivity and soil quality. The Public interest and awareness of the need for improving nutrient use efficiency is great, but nutrient use efficiency is easily misunderstood. The Nutrient use efficiency (NUE) is the integral part of a larger concept of resource use efficiency in agriculture, a cause of concern at present and as well as for the future of sustainable agriculture. The nutrients when applied to the soil, if not utilized by the plants, find their way to reach the water bodies and atmosphere, resulted in an increase of ecological cost. Nutrient use efficiency can be optimized by best management practices that apply nutrients at the right rate, time and place, from right source. Application of organic manures is recognized as a key strategy for smart farming, because it optimizes the nutrient use efficiency, by balancing nutrient supply with crop demand, reducing leaching and improving soil health. The application of organic manures improves soil health and plant growth by improving the soil organic matter (SOM), soil structure, aggregate stability, nutrient uptake, water-holding capacity, cation exchange capacity, nutrient use efficiency and microbial activities of soil. The intensity of abiotic stress is continuously increasing, which is a serious threat to crop productivity and global food security. However, the organic manures have been reported to improve tolerance against drought, salinity, heat and heavy metal (HM) stresses. The application of organic fertilizer improves the leaf water status, nutrient uptake, nutrient homeostasis, synthesis of chlorophyll, osmolytes, hormones, secondary metabolites, antioxidant activities and gene expression, resulting in improved tolerance against drought, salinity, heat and heavy metals. The advancements in next-generation agriculture rely heavily on precision nutrition. This review explores how the strategic application of organic manures, among other interventions, optimizes the nutrient use efficiency to support sustainable crop production and sustenance of soil fertility in smart farming.