Publication Details |
| Category | Text Publication |
| Reference Category | Journals |
| DOI | 10.1007/s11119-026-10422-w |
| Document | Shareable Link |
| Title (Primary) | Integrating decision support systems for site-specific application of bio-based fertilizers: a review |
| Author | Amangeldy, N.; Meurer, K.H.E.; Franko, U.; Luo, H.; Meers, E.; Mouazen, A.M. |
| Source Titel | Precision Agriculture |
| Year | 2026 |
| Department | BOSYS |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Page From | art. 121 |
| Language | englisch |
| Topic | T5 Future Landscapes |
| Keywords | Soil nitrogen; Process-based models; Circular economy; Variable-rate fertilization; Nutrient recovery |
| Abstract | Purpose Precision agriculture (PA) is a key strategy for advancingsustainable food production under the European Green Deal and theFarm to Forkframework. While a meta-analysis of 234 studies (1988-2005) confirmed PAprofitability in 68% of evaluated cases, fullyrealising its economic,environmental, and social potential requires renewed attention tosustainability validation and integration withincircular nutrient systems.Bio-based fertilisers (BBFs) derived from circular production processes presentpromising alternatives to mineralfertilisers – a perspective reinforced by theEuropean Commission’s recent endorsement (September 2025) of Recovered NitrogenfrommanURE (RENURE) products as sustainable substitutes for synthetic nitrogen(N) fertilisers under the Nitrates Directive (ND).Nevertheless, BBFscompositional variability and nutrient release dynamics present uniquechallenges for process-based modelling andwhen integrated for variable-rateapplication (VRA). Methods This paper presents a state-of-the-art review of site-specificBBFs application, identifies research gaps in integrating BBFs intoVRA andprocess-based modelling, and sets out the key challenges to consider when BBFsare used in both. Accoordingly, the existingliterature on BBF use was examinedand sorted into laboratory, greenhouse, and field studies, along with thecurrent state of VRAtechnologies and the integration of process-basedmodelling into VRA. Findings were organised around the 5R principles of PAimplemented for site-specific BBF application: right rate (uniform versusvariable rate, accounting for the heterogenous composition ofBBFs, rightsource (pre-processed circular products), right technology (application methodsacross reviewed field and greenhouse studies),right place and right timing,the two latter of which are optimized by integration of process-basedmodelling, and remote and proximalsensing into a decision support system. Results Accurate simulation of BBF N dynamics requires representing themobility and transformation of mineral N forms (NH4+, NO3-)across inputs,soil pools, application methods, and loss pathways under local weather, anaspect central to this review. Process-based modelse.g., APSIM, HERMES, SALUS,and DSSAT have been applied successfully to variable-rate mineralfertilisation, but their use for BBFsremains limited, particularly forfield-scale assessment of nitrate leaching (NO3-) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions.Conclusions: Process-based models coupled with site-specific monitoring canextend decision support beyond yield estimation toenvironmental accountabilityand, once validated, supply policymakers with spatially explicit evidence.Future systems should incorporatefarmers’ management practices, local weather,and agronomic context as explanatory factors alongside yield data. |
| Amangeldy, N., Meurer, K.H.E., Franko, U., Luo, H., Meers, E., Mouazen, A.M. (2026): Integrating decision support systems for site-specific application of bio-based fertilizers: a review Precis. Agric. 27 (5), art. 121 10.1007/s11119-026-10422-w |
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