By Gerd Dercon
Agricultural systems worldwide are losing vital nutrients, reducing crop productivity, increasing costs for farmers and contributing to environmental pollution. At the same time, many crops lack essential micronutrients needed for human health, creating a growing challenge for food production and nutrition.
Low nutrient use efficiency, particularly for nitrogen, phosphorus and key micronutrients such as zinc, iron and selenium, leads to substantial fertilizer losses and limits the nutritional value of crops.
These challenges are becoming more pronounced as climate change alters soil processes, affects nutrient cycling and reduces plants’ ability to absorb nutrients under drought and heat stress. Conventional soil fertility assessments often do not fully capture the complex interactions between soil, plants and microorganisms that determine how nutrients are retained, transformed and taken up.
To address these challenges, the IAEA has launched a new coordinated research project (CRP) titled Integrating Nuclear Approaches to Enhance Nutrient Use Efficiency and Crop Nutritional Quality.
The project, implemented by the IAEA and FAO through the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture and IAEA’s Division of Physical and Chemical Sciences, will develop science-based approaches to improve nutrient management, enhance crop nutritional quality and support climate-resilient agricultural systems.
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