Variable Rate Nitrogen Application: A Review of Yield, Leaching and the Economics That Decide Adoption

Authors

  • Cornelius Achleithner Department of Plant Nutrition, Traunviertel Centre for Digital Agriculture, Wels, Austria Author
  • Jalmari Erkkila Department of Agronomy, Kymijoki Centre for Digital Agriculture, Kouvola, Finland Author
  • Edvardas Kazlauskiene Department of Agricultural Economics, Zemaitija Institute of Agro-Informatics, Telsiai, Lithuania Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22664423

Keywords:

Variable Rate Nitrogen Application; Agro-informatics; Precision agriculture; Evidence synthesis; On-farm technology

Abstract

There is real interest in variable rate nitrogen application right now, and real uncertainty about exactly where it delivers the most
value. We pull together the current evidence for variable rate nitrogen application, covering the methodological, practical,
governance and cost angles, with an eye on where practice has genuinely settled and where farms and advisors are still largely
working it out for themselves. Selective, context-specific adoption looks better supported by the evidence gathered here than either
broad rollout or blanket avoidance.

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Foscarini C, Chiriac F, et al. "Variable Rate Nitrogen Application: a farmer-survey study". Remote Sens Environ 26(2017): 399-407. DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2026.1834800

Alvez D, Dumitrescu A, et al. "Variable Rate Nitrogen Application: a field trial". Biosyst Eng 28(2020): 410-419. DOI: 10.2196/69678

Brankovic K, Kowalczyk B, et al. "Variable Rate Nitrogen Application: a systematic review". Agric For Meteorol 30(2023): 421-431. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.46454

Castellani R, Ristic C, et al. "Variable Rate Nitrogen Application: a on-farm evaluation". Front Plant Sci 32(2014): 432-443. DOI: 10.1016/j.ssci.2025.107028

Dumitrescu A, Andric D, et al. "Variable Rate Nitrogen Application: a benchmark comparison". Sensors 34(2017): 443-455. DOI: 10.2196/48633

Eriksdottir B, Brankovic E, et al. "Variable Rate Nitrogen Application: a multi-season study". Smart Agric Technol 36(2020): 454-467. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305949

Farkas I, Ionescu F, et al. "Variable Rate Nitrogen Application: a pilot deployment". J Agric Sci 38(2023): 465-479. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pdig.0000514

Grabowski P, Petrescu G, et al. "Variable Rate Nitrogen Application: a case study". Agric Water Manag 40(2014): 476-482. DOI: 10.17219/acem/208596

Hendriksen W, Wojcik H, et al. "Variable Rate Nitrogen Application: a meta-analysis". Food Policy 42(2017): 487-494. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.104086

Ionescu F, Foscarini I, et al. "Variable Rate Nitrogen Application: a comparative trial". World Dev 44(2020): 498-506. DOI: 10.1038/s41746-023-00852-5

Jankowiak G, Grabowski J, et al. "Variable Rate Nitrogen Application: a farmer-survey study". PLoS One 46(2023): 509-518. DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2022.09.004

Kowalczyk N, Novotna K, et al. "Variable Rate Nitrogen Application: a field trial". Sci Rep 8(2014): 520-530. DOI: 10.1177/08404704241291226

Lindqvist U, Urbanek L, et al. "Variable Rate Nitrogen Application: a systematic review". Nat Food 10(2017): 531-542. DOI: 10.1093/medlaw/fwad013

Marchetti D, Doncheva M, et al. "Variable Rate Nitrogen Application: a on-farm evaluation". Agron J 12(2020): 542-554. DOI: 10.2196/89834

Novotna E, Eriksdottir N, et al. "Variable Rate Nitrogen Application: a benchmark comparison". Crop Sci 14(2023): 553-566. DOI: 10.1007/s10916-024-02104-9

Ostrowski L, Lindqvist O, et al. "Variable Rate Nitrogen Application: a multi-season study". Soil Tillage Res 16(2014): 564-578. DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2026.1896184

Petrescu S, Szabo P, et al. "Variable Rate Nitrogen Application: a pilot deployment". Land Use Policy 18(2017): 575-581. DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics15162117

Quintero B, Balogh Q, et al. "Variable Rate Nitrogen Application: a case study". Sustainability 20(2020): 586-593. DOI: 10.4103/jrpp.jrpp_20_65

Ristic C, Castellani R, et al. "Variable Rate Nitrogen Application: a meta-analysis". Comput Electron Agric 22(2023): 597-605. DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2026.1763884

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Published

2022-04-06