How do ecosystem approaches to improving NUE differ from GE, and why are they important?
Ecosystem approaches consider the interactions of crops with the farm environment over time and space. GE and breeding focus on changes within the plant itself, and do not address how spatial and temporal factors affect NUE. The timing of nitrogen fertilizer application to match the varying needs of the growing plant over time is important for improving NUE—fertilizer applied when the crop cannot use it will cause substantial nitrogen pollution even for crops with high NUE. For example, large amounts of fertilizer applied in the fall (a common practice for economic reasons) are lost during the winter and early spring when crops are not growing. Approaches that consider NUE as part of the ongoing interaction of crops with the farm environment, such as precision farming, and cover crops and other practices used by organic agriculture, are needed in addition to plant improvement to achieve high NUE. No Sure Fix explores the pros and cons of ecosystem approaches and how they stack up compa
