Estimation of the gap in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium applied fertilizers for the production of plant produce in Golestan province

Document Type : Complete scientific research article

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Department of Agriculture, Faculty of Plant Production, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran

2 Student of the Department of Agriculture, Faculty of Plant Production, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran

3 Professor, Department of Agriculture, Faculty of Plant Production, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran

4 Assistant Professor, Department of chemistry, soil fertility and plant nutrition, Karaj Soil and Water Research Institute, Karaj, Iran

10.22069/ejcp.2026.20883.2554

Abstract

Background and objectives: Optimizing mineral nutrition is necessary to ensure the achievement of optimal performance, improve soil fertility, and also ensure the sustainability of plant production. In this regard, accurate estimation of the amount of fertilizer required for the plant production and providing them in an optimal and balanced is important in terms of food security, economic and environmental. For this purpose, the present study was conducted with the aim of calculating the amount of main nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) needed for current yields and estimating the gap in the use of fertilizers of these nutrients (that is, the difference between the current amount of fertilizer consumption of these elements and the amount of fertilizer that is needed to achieve the current functions without reducing soil fertility) in the production of agricultural, horticulture and vegetable plants of the golestan province.
Materials and methods: After collecting the information needed to calculate the amount of main nutrients absorbed based on the critical concentration in dry matter, yield, harvest index, area, the amount of main nutrients absorbed and removed from the cultivated fields of agricultural, horticultural and vegetable crops in the Golestan province in the period from 2011 to 2020, the amount of fertilizer required for their production was estimated in irrigated and rainfed conditions. In this study, a method based on Fertilicalc software was used to calculate the required amount of fertilizer. The required amount of nitrogen fertilizer was estimated based on the use efficiency of 70%, phosphorus fertilizer based on the build-up approach and potassium based on maintenance approach. Then, by using the obtained results and information related to the use of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers in golestan province, the amount of the gap in fertilizer applied was obtained to achieve the current yields of plant products.
Results: According to the results obtained, for the production of plant products in Golestan province, the annual use of about 60 thousand tons of pure nitrogen, 9 thousand tons of pure phosphorus and 36 thousand tons of pure potassium is required. But according to the available statistics, an average of 41 thousand tons of nitrogen fertilizer (based on pure nutrient), 3.4 thousand tons of phosphorus fertilizer (based on pure nutrient) and 3.5 thousand tons of potash fertilizer (based on pure nutrient) have been used. That's in these years, the amount of nitrogen fertilizer used was 30%, phosphorus 63% and potassium 91% less than the amount needed by plants. It should be noted that this fertilizer gap does not mean the use of less fertilizer for all plants at the same rate, that for some plants and areas, the use of fertilizers may be as much as needed, for some more than needed (cash crops) and for others less be more than needed. Therefore, in addition to lack of fertilizer application, this non-uniformity makes the situation worse.
Conclusion: Due to the fact that the gap in fertilizer use over time can reduce the organic and mineral reserves of nutrients needed by plants in the soil, a careful planning should be done in order to eliminate this gap in a suitable period of time. It is emphasized that the amounts of fertilizer recommended in this study are based on the current actual yield of plants in golestan province, and without a doubt, it is necessary use of larger amounts of fertilizers in order to eliminate the yield gap caused by the lack of nutrients with the aim of achieving available yield and maintaining and improving soil fertility.

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Journal of Crop Production
Volume 18, Issue 4
December 2026
Pages 1-22

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