Real-time in situ sensing of soil nitrogen status to promote enhanced nitrogen use efficiency in agricultural systems
Lead Research Organisation:
John Innes Centre
Department Name: Metabolic Biology
Abstract
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Technical Summary
The inefficient use of nitrogen (N) within agricultural systems is almost ubiquitous with typically only 50% of the N applied to the land subsequently recovered in the crop. This gross inefficiency is largely caused by the poor spatial and temporal targeting of fertiliser N relative to crop N demand, leading to a major loss of N to freshwater, groundwater and the atmosphere (via leaching, surface runoff or gaseous emissions). This diffuse pollution has a major environmental impact as well as a producing significant social (including human health) and indirect economic cost. One of the biggest challenges facing the agricultural industry is therefore finding new ways to optimise the use of N fertiliser to both reduce costs and improve sustainability. In response to this challenge, and in direct alignment with both the strategic objectives of the SARIC programme and those of RCUK (2016), we describe a new integrated precision agriculture approach to achieve this goal. Our aim is to combine the power of new soil-based in situ N sensors with mathematical models, spatial statistics and existing canopy N sensors to develop new decision support tools to allow farmers and their advisors to decide when and where to apply N. A range of key industry partners have joined this project consortium to demonstrate how soil and canopy sensors can be deployed in arable and grassland systems for measurement of soil and crop N status. Geo-statistical methods will be used to show the optimal deployment of these sensors. This information will feed into new mechanistic models which will be used to predict crop N demand. Together with our industry partners, we will explore via workshops and outreach activities how these new technologies can improve current fertiliser management and guidelines through enhanced industry-focused decision support tools.
RCUK (2016) A vision and high-level strategy for UK animal and plant health research to 2020 and beyond. BBSRC, ESRC, NERC, HM Government.
RCUK (2016) A vision and high-level strategy for UK animal and plant health research to 2020 and beyond. BBSRC, ESRC, NERC, HM Government.
Planned Impact
UK agriculture uses over 0.85 million tonnes of nitrogen (N) fertiliser each year which is spread over 8.2 million hectares of tilled and grassland soil. A major proportion of this added fertiliser, however, is not taken up by the crop and is lost to the wider environment. This results in a major economic loss to farmers and can lead to pollution of water courses, groundwater and the atmosphere. As the use of synthetic fertilisers will continue to be pivotal in food production for the foreseeable future, new ways are needed to effectively target the efficient use of this resource. One of the major outputs from our research programme will be the development of new decision support tools that utilise on-farm, real-time soil data which continually update during the growing season. This represents a major advancement in current fertiliser guidance systems (e.g. RB209, Planet, Farmscoper). The outputs of our research on society can be grouped as follows:
INDUSTRY: This research proposal is directly underpinned by key industry partners. These include (i) Yara UK who are one of the leading suppliers of N fertilisers, crop nutrient sensors (e.g. Yara-N-Sensor) and fertiliser guidance; (ii) Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) who are the agrisupply industry's leading trade association. AIC's Fertiliser Sector represents over 95% of the UK's agricultural fertiliser supply industry, worth about £2bn; (iii) British Grassland Society is a communication forum which through events and publications promotes the profitable and sustainable use of grass and forage; (iv) Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) is a Levy Board which represents the cattle, sheep, pigs, milk, potatoes, cereals, oilseeds and horticultural industries. AHDB are also responsible for reviewing current UK fertiliser recommendations associated with RB209; (v) Delta-T Devices are one of the leading companies in the development and sales of soil and plant based sensors; (vi) Syngenta is one of the world's leading agricultural companies with an annual global revenue of £l0 billion; (vii) AgSpace are leading software developers producing decision support tools for precision agriculture. Our project directly aligns with the strategic priorities for all these industry organisations. All the main partners will be members of our management board, and will provide invaluable guidance throughout the project and will facilitate the dissemination of the project findings.
POLICY COMMUNITY: The results from this project will directly inform policymakers (e.g. Defra, DECC) by providing clear advice on future developments in precision agriculture including the environmental and economic costs and benefits and barriers to technology adoption. We will also provide guidance on the timelines and likely impact that adopting these technologies will have at the UK level and its potential impact on the UK N inventory. Policymakers are also central to our proposal (see WP5) ensuring dialogue throughout the programme. We will also build on our established links with Defra and Welsh Government to ensure effective dialogue.
WIDER COMMUNITY: A web page and Twitter feed from the Bangor website will provide ongoing information on the project and its results. Different aspects of the project will be used for teaching, generating student projects, and will be presented at open days at (1) the Bangor University Agricultural Extension Farm, which is one of Defra's Sustainable Intensification Platform flagship sites, and (2) by our industrial partners. We will also feature the project in School Science Week, using visualisation of nitrogen pollution to stimulate wider discussion about agriculture and the environment. See also the section of Pathways to Impact for more details.
SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY: Our research will inform scientists working in several areas of research (see Academic Beneficiaries section for more details).
INDUSTRY: This research proposal is directly underpinned by key industry partners. These include (i) Yara UK who are one of the leading suppliers of N fertilisers, crop nutrient sensors (e.g. Yara-N-Sensor) and fertiliser guidance; (ii) Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) who are the agrisupply industry's leading trade association. AIC's Fertiliser Sector represents over 95% of the UK's agricultural fertiliser supply industry, worth about £2bn; (iii) British Grassland Society is a communication forum which through events and publications promotes the profitable and sustainable use of grass and forage; (iv) Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) is a Levy Board which represents the cattle, sheep, pigs, milk, potatoes, cereals, oilseeds and horticultural industries. AHDB are also responsible for reviewing current UK fertiliser recommendations associated with RB209; (v) Delta-T Devices are one of the leading companies in the development and sales of soil and plant based sensors; (vi) Syngenta is one of the world's leading agricultural companies with an annual global revenue of £l0 billion; (vii) AgSpace are leading software developers producing decision support tools for precision agriculture. Our project directly aligns with the strategic priorities for all these industry organisations. All the main partners will be members of our management board, and will provide invaluable guidance throughout the project and will facilitate the dissemination of the project findings.
POLICY COMMUNITY: The results from this project will directly inform policymakers (e.g. Defra, DECC) by providing clear advice on future developments in precision agriculture including the environmental and economic costs and benefits and barriers to technology adoption. We will also provide guidance on the timelines and likely impact that adopting these technologies will have at the UK level and its potential impact on the UK N inventory. Policymakers are also central to our proposal (see WP5) ensuring dialogue throughout the programme. We will also build on our established links with Defra and Welsh Government to ensure effective dialogue.
WIDER COMMUNITY: A web page and Twitter feed from the Bangor website will provide ongoing information on the project and its results. Different aspects of the project will be used for teaching, generating student projects, and will be presented at open days at (1) the Bangor University Agricultural Extension Farm, which is one of Defra's Sustainable Intensification Platform flagship sites, and (2) by our industrial partners. We will also feature the project in School Science Week, using visualisation of nitrogen pollution to stimulate wider discussion about agriculture and the environment. See also the section of Pathways to Impact for more details.
SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY: Our research will inform scientists working in several areas of research (see Academic Beneficiaries section for more details).
People |
ORCID iD |
Tony Miller (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Capstaff N
(2018)
Improving the Yield and Nutritional Quality of Forage Crops
in Frontiers in Plant Science
Capstaff N
(2021)
Real-time monitoring of rhizosphere nitrate fluctuations under crops following defoliation
in Plant Methods
Helliwell JR
(2019)
The role of plant species and soil condition in the structural development of the rhizosphere.
in Plant, cell & environment
Helliwell J
(2017)
The emergent rhizosphere: imaging the development of the porous architecture at the root-soil interface
in Scientific Reports
Sun P
(2022)
Countering elevated CO2 induced Fe and Zn reduction in Arabidopsis seeds.
in The New phytologist
Wang X
(2020)
Sustainable Cropping Requires Adaptation to a Heterogeneous Rhizosphere.
in Trends in plant science
Description | Soil sensors were successfully field trialled under a maize crop in Bangor, North Wales. The sensors indicated that there was sufficient N available to sustain a reasonable yielding maize crop and at harvest this result was confirmed. An optimised pattern for soil sensor distribution is being determined. |
Exploitation Route | The commercial development of the soil N sensors is feasible. Farmers and agronomists can use the data from the soil sensors to decide on fertiliser application rates. |
Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink Environment |
URL | https://www.jic.ac.uk/people/professor-tony-miller/ |
Description | The first year of field testing of soil nutrient sensors has been reported at meetings of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Innovation Club (SARIC). The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Innovation Club (SARIC) is a joint BBSRC and NERC initiative to support innovative projects that will provide solutions to key challenges affecting the efficiency, productivity and sustainability of the UK crop and livestock sectors. Other field testing and the research underpinning the soil sensor development was reported at the Sensors in Food and Agriculture 2018 meeting. At this meeting an industrial partner was identified who has relevant expertise to commercially develop the soil sensor technology. In 2019, an INNOVATE UK grant was awarded to collaborate with the Industrial partners to commercially develop the soil nutrient sensors. |
Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Environment |
Description | Innovation funding scheme. Productive and sustainable crop and ruminant agricultural systems |
Amount | £1,560,000 (GBP) |
Funding ID | 26626 |
Organisation | Government of the UK |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2019 |
End | 03/2022 |
Description | SARIC |
Amount | £283,012 (GBP) |
Funding ID | NE/R017425/1 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2018 |
End | 09/2020 |
Title | Soil nitrate sensors |
Description | Development of improved soil sensor technology for the in situ evaluation of nitrate concentrations in soil. |
Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
Year Produced | 2018 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | greater reliability in measurements. |
Description | Collaboration with Yara |
Organisation | Yara (UK) Ltd |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | Supply of N sensors. |
Collaborator Contribution | Within this project, Yara are committed to hosting and collaborating in the nitrate sensor field trials which will be undertaken within our nitrogen response field trial network. In addition, we also agree to publicise the project as part of our on-going engagement activities at both in-house events (e.g. at our 5 annual N-Sensor training days which host 30-50 people each) and at external events (e.g. CropTec, Cereals 2017 and LAMMA). |
Impact | On-going activities |
Start Year | 2017 |
Description | Geospatial monitoring |
Organisation | Veris Technologies, Inc. |
Country | United States |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | Transfer of knowledge on sensors |
Collaborator Contribution | Transfer of knowledge on soil sensor deployment. Access to datasets |
Impact | On-going |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | Industry workshop on sensors |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Presentation in Warwick to agricultural industry. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | JIC50 public open day |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Open Day at JIC celebrating 50 years on the Norwich site. Soil columns featuring the N sensors were displayed to the public. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | https://www.jic.ac.uk/news-and-events/blog-copy/2017/08/john-innes-celebrates-50-years-norwich-2017 |
Description | Joint sensor workshop with Brazilian researchers |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | sensor building workshop for technology transfer to Brazil |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Meeting with YARA to discuss technology adoption |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Day long meeting with Yara Inc (Mark Tucker) about technology adoption. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Open Farm Sunday |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Open Farm Sunday. We had a big demonstration of the N sensor field trials and soil security |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Presentation to a group if Industry Representatives (BAYER) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Presentation to BAYER - visiting group of representatives. The effects of a biostimulant on crops and developing soil nutrient sensors. 13 Feb 2019 at Church Farm. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | http://www.primeag.co.uk/ |
Description | PrimeAg visit |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Eight visitors from PrimeAg visited JIC for half a day. Prime Agriculture LLP is a consultancy partnership of 11 BASIS and FACTS qualified agronomists, working with growers in in Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and Hertfordshire. http://www.primeag.co.uk/ |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | http://www.primeag.co.uk/ |
Description | Royal Welsh Show keynote made by PI |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Talk on the future of grasslands and new technologies. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | SARIC annual meeting |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Presentation to industry at the annual SARIC conference |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Talk at the the Microbiology Seminar Series |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Talk at the the Microbiology Seminar Series on Soil Sensor Technology |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Talk to the Environment Centre Wales |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Talk to the Environment Centre Wales on soil sensors |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | conference talk |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Conference talk at the International Fertiliser Conference in Cambridge |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | meeting with fertiliser industry |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | meeting to discuss fertiliser use efficiency and the use of sensors. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | workshops with welsh government on sensor technologies |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | small projects emerged |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |