Micronutrients for sustainable food, feed, fi bre and bioenergy production

Micronutrients for Sustainable Food, Feed, Fibre and Bioenergy Production Micronutrients for Sustainable Food, Feed, Fibre and Bioenergy Production R.W Bell and B Dell International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA) Paris, France, 2008 The designation employed and the presentation of material in this information product not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the International Fertilizer Industry Association This includes matters pertaining to the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries Micronutrients for Sustainable Food, Feed, Fibre and Bioenergy Production First edition, IFA, Paris, France, December 2008 Copyright 2008 IFA All rights reserved ISBN 978-2-9523139-3-3 The publication can be downloaded from IFA’s web site To obtain paper copies, contact IFA 28, rue Marbeuf, 75008 Paris, France Tel: +33 53 93 05 00 Fax: +33 53 93 05 45/ 47 publications@fertilizer.org www.fertilizer.org Printed in France Layout: Claudine Aholou-Putz, IFA Graphics: Hélène Ginet, IFA iii Table of Contents About the book and the authors vii Acknowledgements viii List of scientific names for species mentioned in the text ix Acronyms, symbols and abbreviations xi Summary xv Introduction Impact of micronutrient deficiency Area of impact Micronutrients in soil Biogeochemical cycling of micronutrients 9 Soil solution Soil minerals Organic matter Precipitation-dissolution reactions Redox reactions Sorption-desorption reactions Crop removal Erosion Leaching 10 11 12 13 13 14 14 16 16 Modelling biogeochemical cycling 18 Soil classification and micronutrient deficiencies 18 Evaluation of the status of micronutrients in soils 20 Forms and availability in soils 22 Rhizosphere processes 24 Topsoil vs sub-soil levels of micronutrients 26 Additional reading 27 iv Micronutrients for sustainable food, feed, fibre and bioenergy production Micronutrients in plants, animals and humans Boron 29 30 Functions Requirements Deficiency symptoms 30 31 31 Copper Functions Requirements Deficiency symptoms 32 32 32 33 Iron Functions Requirements Deficiency symptoms 33 33 34 35 Manganese Functions Requirements Deficiency symptoms 36 36 36 37 Molybdenum Functions Requirements Deficiency symptoms 37 37 38 38 Zinc Functions Requirements Deficiency symptoms 38 38 39 40 Other micronutrients 40 Additional reading 41 Benefits of using micronutrient fertilisers Field crops Vegetables and horticulture Forestry Seed quality Disease resistance Chilling and freezing injury Human health Additional reading 43 43 46 47 48 49 50 51 51 v Types of micronutrient fertiliser products: advantages and disadvantages of the different types Chemical and physical nature of products Straight micronutrient products NPK fertilisers with micronutrients Liquid mixes Chelated and enhanced micronutrients Fritted and slow-release products 53 53 53 56 57 58 59 Efficacy comparison: uptake via foliage, uptake from soil 60 Appropriateness for different crop types 62 Appropriateness for different production systems 62 Comparison of relative costs and benefits 63 Environmental impacts 64 Additional reading 66 Application strategies Fertiliser fortification 67 67 Blended fertilisers Fluid fertilisers Compound fertilisers Controlled-release fertilisers 68 68 68 69 Foliar spray 70 Fertigation 73 Hydroponics 74 Seed treatment 75 Other methods 75 Additional reading 75 Best Management Practices (BMPs) for micronutrients Alleviation of other limiting factors Residual effectiveness of added micronutrients Nutrient budgets Soil and plant analysis Species and cultivar differences in micronutrient efficiency Human and animal nutrition Additional reading 77 78 79 82 84 93 95 95 vi Micronutrients for sustainable food, feed, fibre and bioenergy production Current research and development trends New products Distribution of micronutrient products to small farmers Interaction of micronutrients with pesticides and herbicides Role of micronutrients in maximising benefits from high productivity land use Defining areas of low micronutrient status in soils The link between crop micronutrient supply and human health Interactions between micronutrient status of crops and the growing environment Micronutrient-efficient cultivars Planning for the future Additional reading 97 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 107 Micronutrient market Factors affecting micronutrient market potential Micronutrient consumption Potential market Additional reading 109 109 115 118 122 10 Policy and regulatory context of micronutrient use Agriculture and food policies Environmental policies 123 123 125 Non-nutritive trace elements in fertilisers 125 Use of sewage sludge and industrial by-products as micronutrient sources 126 Regulations on micronutrient fertilisers Fertiliser registration and quality standards 127 128 11 Conclusions and recommendations 131 12 References 139 13 Plates on micronutrient deficiency symptoms 167 vii About the book and the authors This book is written for practitioners and stakeholders in the fertiliser industry and for policy makers whose decisions may impact on the use of micronutrients in agriculture, horticulture and forestry The aim of the book is to: • Explain the growing importance of micronutrients in balanced fertilisation; • Consider the micronutrient fertiliser types that are currently available and how to best use them; • Assess the current market and prospects for micronutrient fertilisers; and • Discuss the policy, regulatory and quality control framework needed to maximize the benefits from using micronutrient fertilisers Richard Bell Richard Bell is Professor in Sustainable Land Management at the School of Environmental Sciences, Murdoch University, Western Australia Richard Bell is a soil fertility and land management specialist with lecturing and research experience in Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Fiji, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam His particular interests are in plant nutrition on problem soils, diagnosis and prognosis of mineral disorders of plants, plant adaption to mineral stress, crop nutrient management, rehabilitation of degraded land, sustainable land use and agricultural development in developing countries Richard Bell is the author of 130 peer reviewed papers and editor or author of nine books Much of his published work has been on micronutrients in plant and crop nutrition, with contributions to boron nutrition of crops and plants most noteworthy from this work He has co-edited three volumes on boron in soils and plants and co-authored several review papers on boron He is the supervisor of eight current and 29 completed PhD and Masters students Bernard Dell Bernard Dell is Professor and Head of Plant Sciences at the School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Murdoch University, Western Australia His research in plant nutrition has been undertaken with many colleagues and graduate students in Australia, East and South-east Asia over the past 25 years His research has encompassed establishment of visual symptoms of deficiency, setting critical values for diagnosis of deficiency, correction of micronutrient and macronutrient deficiencies in the field, improving fertiliser use efficiency by inoculation with beneficial soil organisms, improving the micronutrient density of seed, and studies on micronutrient function in plant development Bernard Dell has studied a wide range of crop types, including grain legumes, cereals, oil crops and industrial tree crops He has written approximately 200 scientific journal articles, a number of books and book chapters He regularly consults for the plantation sector on all matters affecting the health of perennial crops The most frequent constraint to productivity that he encounters in the field is the lack of application of micronutrient fertilisers viii Micronutrients for sustainable food, feed, fibre and bioenergy production Acknowledgements The authors gratefully acknowledge financial assistance from the International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA) with the preparation of the manuscript They further acknowledge the contribution of Ms Angela Bunoan-Olegario and Mr Patrick Heffer (IFA) for assembling the market and policy information reported in Chapters and 10 after surveying members of IFA internationally; the valuable reviews and careful editing of the penultimate drafts provided by Dr John Mortvedt and Mr Graham Price; and assistance provided by Dr Yashpal and Mr Harry Eslick in gathering relevant references for review Ms Janet Box assisted in checking citation of references and final proofs ... Additional reading 27 iv Micronutrients for sustainable food, feed, fibre and bioenergy production Micronutrients in plants, animals and humans Boron 29 30 Functions Requirements Deficiency symptoms... micronutrient efficiency Human and animal nutrition Additional reading 77 78 79 82 84 93 95 95 vi Micronutrients for sustainable food, feed, fibre and bioenergy production Current research and development... Micronutrients for sustainable food, feed, fibre and bioenergy production on crop quality such as oil, protein or fibre content, absence of defects, and storage longevity are important for the price