Fertilize Right Colombia

Project Name (Full): Fertilize Right Colombia

Start and end dates: 2023–2028

Geographic area: The Americas (Colombia, Brazil); Asia (Pakistan, Vietnam)

Funding: USDA

Project members: ADR PIDAR 649, ANDI, Acepalma, Augura, Cenicaña, CLAC, Fedearroz, Fenavi, Nitrofert, Universidad de Córdoba, Universidad del Tolima.

Project Description

The project aims to transform nutrient management in Colombia’s agricultural systems, addressing key challenges such as low nitrogen use efficiency and soil degradation. In this context, the USDA, in collaboration with the Alliance Bioversity & CIAT, has established a network of stakeholders that includes farmers, fertilizer companies, and government agencies. Through initial assessments, the project established baselines for socioeconomic conditions, production systems, soil health, and nitrous oxide emissions. This allows for measuring progress and guiding evidence-based decisions. In addition, it analyzes the environmental impact and cost-benefit ratio of technologies that optimize fertilizer use and promote sustainable alternatives. The project also strengthens institutional capacities and fosters technical exchange, ensuring long-term sustainability. Its comprehensive approach, which combines research, fieldwork, and multisectoral collaboration, seeks not only to increase agricultural productivity but also to balance it with environmental protection and the well-being of producers.

Main Activities

The project implements a comprehensive approach that combines applied research, technological development, and capacity building, within the framework of the Fertilize Right Project.

To improve fertilizer use efficiency and soil health, it coordinates activities with local and national stakeholders, ensuring that solutions address the actual conditions of production systems. Key actions include:

Cost-benefit analysis of innovations based on field trials, which helps identify viable practices and factors influencing their adoption.
Evaluation of different fertilization strategies (conventional, optimized, and alternative) in various regions through soil sampling and analysis, as well as monitoring of nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions to estimate their environmental impact and mitigation potential.
Development of a decision-support app that facilitates efficient fertilizer management and emissions estimation.
Strengthening capacity in digital soil mapping, promoting co-creation processes for training programs, technical training, and workshops aimed at professionals, technicians, and farmers, complemented by educational materials and outreach activities.

These actions enable the transfer of knowledge, strengthen local capacities, and promote the adoption of sustainable practices on a large scale.

Partners

This project was made possible thanks to support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The content is the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of the USDA.