Field research sites for developing and testing integrated soil fertility management approaches by the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre's Soil and Water Management and Crop Nutrition Laboratory. (Photo: J. Mitchell/FAO-IAEA)
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.
Nuclear and Isotopic Techniques Provide Precision Insights
Nuclear and isotopic techniques, combined with advanced analytical approaches, provide tools to better understand how nutrients move through soil-plant systems.
Stable isotope techniques will be used to assess the cycling and uptake efficiency of key nutrients, including nitrogen, zinc, iron and selenium, while radioisotope approaches, which are better suited to tracking phosphorus in soil and crops, will assess phosphorus dynamics. Complementary analytical approaches, including X-ray fluorescence and other advanced techniques, will strengthen rapid and reliable assessment of nutrient availability and crop nutritional quality.
By using isotopic tracers, researchers can distinguish between nutrients originating from fertilizers and those already present in soils. This makes it possible to quantify nutrient recovery, identify pathways of nutrient loss and develop improved soil-plant nutrient management strategies based on the principles of applying the right nutrient source, at the right rate, at the right time and in the right place.
When combined with field experiments and advanced analytical methods, these approaches allow researchers to quantify nutrient cycling, identify loss pathways and assess how climate conditions influence nutrient availability and uptake.
Overall Objectives
The five-year project will bring together research institutions from around the world to develop and validate harmonised methodologies, datasets and decision-support tools, and technical capacities.
The aim is to optimize climate-resilient fertilizer, soil fertility and cropping system management to enhance nutrient use efficiency, crop quality and agricultural productivity.
The project will:
- Quantify nutrient cycling, plant uptake and fertilizer recovery in soil-plant systems.
- Integrate nuclear techniques with conventional soil and plant analysis methods.
- Develop improved fertilizer and cropping strategies adapted to climate variability.
- Advance understanding of soil-plant-microbe interactions.
- Strengthen research capacity through coordinated training, inter-laboratory validation and collaborative networks.
By addressing both nutrient efficiency and crop nutritional quality, the project will support more sustainable agricultural systems and contribute to global food and nutrition security.
The results will help inform improved fertilizer recommendations, soil management practices and strategies to enhance micronutrient content in crops across diverse environments. Ultimately, it aims to improve farmer livelihoods and profitability across diverse agro-ecological regions and production systems.
How to join
The project will be open to up to 10 research/technical contracts and 3 research agreement holders, offering Member States and other partners the opportunity to participate.
