Smart Fertilizer Use Can Boost Yields and Cut Pollution in South Asia's Rice Farms

Nitrogen fertilizers have long been credited with enhancing crop yields in South Asia, a region where rice farming supports food security for hundreds of millions. However, new research published in Nature Sustainability reveals a major inefficiency in current practices: over half of rice farmers (55%) in the region apply excessive nitrogen, leading to environmental degradation and wasted resources without improving harvests.