The fertilizer utilization rate is an important indicator for evaluating the effectiveness of scientific fertilization. Since the 14th Five-Year Plan, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has earnestly implemented the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, deeply carried out initiatives to reduce fertilizer application, promoted efficient and scientific fertilization practices, and steadily improved the fertilizer utilization rate. According to scientific calculations, in 2024, the fertilizer utilization rate for China’s three major grain crops—rice, corn, and wheat—reached 42.6%, an increase of 1.3 percentage points compared to 2022.

　　The improvement in fertilizer-use efficiency is the result of a combination of multiple factors. Soil-testing-based fertilization tailored to specific soil conditions serves as an important foundation for enhancing fertilizer-use efficiency. Localities have strengthened the connection between agricultural producers and enterprises, focusing on the five key links—soil testing, formulation, production, supply, and application—and promoted service models such as customized delivery of specialized fertilizer packages, thereby facilitating the implementation of formulated fertilizers. Nationwide, the coverage rate of soil-testing-based fertilization technology for the three major grain crops has exceeded 95%. The integrated application of “three new” technologies represents another crucial pathway for improving fertilizer-use efficiency. Localities have intensified efforts to integrate and match new fertilization technologies, new products, and new machinery, promoting region-specific “three-new” technology integration models that have significantly boosted fertilizer-use efficiency. For example, the adoption of deep-side fertilization technology for rice has increased nitrogen-use efficiency by an average of 3.7 percentage points. Diversified substitution is also an important measure for enhancing fertilizer-use efficiency. Localities have encouraged and guided farmers to return farmyard manure to fields locally and promptly, cultivate green manure crops, and step up the promotion of microbial fertilizers to replace part of chemical fertilizer inputs. For instance, the widespread use of rhizobium inoculants for soybeans has enabled a reduction in nitrogen fertilizer application while simultaneously increasing fertilizer-use efficiency by about 3 percentage points. Specialized fertilization services provide critical support for improving fertilizer-use efficiency. Localities continue to foster and expand specialized service organizations, promote intelligent expert fertilization recommendation systems, and offer comprehensive, science-based fertilization services—including smart diagnostics, digital fertilizer formulation, and mechanized application—all in one integrated package, thus advancing precision fertilization.

　　Next, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will continue to intensify its efforts, carry out in-depth actions to enhance fertilizer efficiency through scientific fertilization, integrate and promote advanced and suitable fertilization technology models, advance the integration of machinery and agronomy, combine technologies with inputs, and coordinate equipment with materials, thereby continuously improving the fertilizer utilization rate of the three major grain crops.