Abstract
Agricultural crops require nutrients to support their growth and to produce abundant, nutritious food for humans and animals. Soil fertility researchers evaluate the nutrient status of soils before selecting the right source and amount of fertilizer to apply to crops. They also consider the best time and place to add fertilizers so the nutrients will be used efficiently by the crop. Technological advances make it possible to apply nutrient-rich fertilizers to crops in smaller doses and with greater precision at the field scale, which avoids nutrient losses from agroecosystems to surrounding environments. Low-cost sensors should improve our understanding of nutrient availability in slow-release fertilizers such as animal manure, which will lead to better storage and handling and precise application. Increasing the precision of soil fertility management will sustain the agricultural production of farms while protecting the health of ecosystems and populations in the surrounding environment.
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Whalen, J.K. (2021). Perspectives to Increase the Precision of Soil Fertility Management on Farms. In: Hamrita, T. (eds) Women in Precision Agriculture. Women in Engineering and Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-49244-1_3
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