Joint EPA-USDA competition launched in U.S. for enhanced efficiency fertilizers
A competition to find the next generation of enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEFs) for use in corn production has been launched through an EPA-USDA partnership, in collaboration with other industry bodies. The entry details of the two competitions under the Next Gen Fertilizer Challenges were presented in a webinar on 24 September 2020. The official start date was 26 August. The supporting agencies are The Fertilizer Institute (TFI), the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA).
The first competition is for EEFs currently on the market or near to market launch. Companies, or “solvers”, as the entrants are called, submit their product to the judging panel, providing evidence how the product reaches the environmental and agronomic requirements. The environmental requirements include reduction in ammonia volatilization, N2O emissions, run-off and leaching of nitrogen and/or phosphorus. The purpose of the EEFs: Environmental and Agronomic Challenge is to identify the EEFs that meet or exceed these requirements. There is no age restriction on the products already on the market, and in both competitions the solvers maintain all IP rights. The judging panel consists of members from industry, academia and relevant agencies. The agronomic benefits must be specifically for corn, and the product compatible with current machinery and practices. Submissions closed 30 October. Those that are short-listed will be recognized as Stage 1 winners, and they will be invited to participate in a greenhouse trial (Stage 2) in 2021, and following those results there is advancement to field trials (Stage 3). There is no cash price for this competition. Winners of Stage 1 receive recognition, although it was made clear in the webinar Q&As that this is not an endorsement, and these winners will be invited to a showcasing event, with a date to be announced. The second competition has been given the title of Next Gen Fertilizer Innovations Challenge. As explained in the webinar, this competition is looking to identify technology not currently on the market and can be more conceptual in nature. The EPA website states these entries may include “technology concepts that are not traditional EEFs and not in commercial use as a fertilizer.” Solvers need to present an idea for an innovative EEF that could improve on the same environmental requirements mentioned above, and deliver agronomic benefits such as not increasing net farm costs. IP rights are retained by the entrants. The solutions must also be compatible with current equipment for corn production.
The closing date for entries is 30 November 2020, with the winners announced in 2021.
Entrants are required to register with this competition, but not with the other challenge. With the Next Gen Fertilizer Innovations Challenge, there is a US$65,000 cash pool, which can be allocated to different entries, with a minimum award of $10,000. Multiple entries are possible, and in the Q&A at the end of the webinar it was confirmed that companies from outside the U.S. were eligible to enter, but that cash prizes were reserved for U.S. entrants only. The approved term for what constitutes an EEF is based on the definition from the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials (AAPFCO). In 2013, AAPFCO defined EEFs as “fertilizer products with characteristics that allow increased plant uptake and reduce the potential of nutrient losses to the environment (e.g., gaseous losses, leaching or run-off) when compared to an appropriate reference product.” During the Q&A, it was clarified the definition also includes fertilizer products containing stabilizing products, such as urease inhibitors. ●
The first thing that is striking about this initiative is the number of collaborators spearheaded by the EPA-USDA partnership. Can you elaborate on how this has come about, obviously with reference to TFI? Launching the Next Gen Fertilizer Challenges was almost a year in the making. Initially U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Agriculture (USDA) staff engaged TFI to gain insight into the industry’s perspective and to assess interest in the effort. For more than a decade, TFI has led efforts to increase adoption for 4R practices, which includes supporting the role enhanced efficiency and other fertilizer product technologies and formulations have in 4R implementation on the farm to address agronomic and environmental goals. TFI collaboration and the ability to provide industry and academic input to develop the challenge was valuable to EPA and USDA, as well as to TFI. The expertise of the International Fertilizer Development Center was also called upon early in the process as it became clear they could support assessment and planned greenhouse trials. Collectively, we desire to increase awareness of these products for increased use on the farm, and for that reason it was important to collaborate with a grower and conservation group, thus bringing in the National Corn Growers Association and The Nature Conservancy.
Was there a particular driver that meant now was the right time to launch the initiative? There were several drivers motivating TFI’s involvement in the initiative. First, there is growing evidence of the effectiveness of these products in advancing agronomic and environmental benefits on the farm. Additionally, we see a need to increase use of these products on the farm. And finally, it is important to further support emerging product development and innovation within the fertilizer industry. In a farm’s conservation system, these products can reduce agriculture’s impacts on the environment while maintaining or increasing productivity and profitability. For many in the food supply chain, these products can be an important element for reaching sustainability goals that focus on improving water quality and mitigating climate change. With an ever-increasing focus on reducing the environmental footprint of the agricultural system, the role and value of industry innovation is elevated and something we should use advantageously.
What's been the initial reaction to the competition from the industry? A significant amount of interest has been expressed by industry, both within and external to the fertilizer industry. Combined, the two challenges create opportunities for products we traditionally think of stabilized, slow-, or controlled-release products – as well as other products that enhance nutrient use efficiency of nitrogen and phosphorus, which could include biostimulants. This is a great opportunity for industry members to gain recognition for their specific product formulations by U.S. federal agencies. Personally, I hope many industry members pursue participation as it will positively demonstrate and draw attention to innovation efforts already underway in the industry.
Where did the idea for a competition come from? It's reminiscent of the early days of industrial revolution in UK when competitions were held for fastest steam train design. Is that the reason for going for a competition format, to accelerate the ideas and provide an impetus? For several years now, the U.S. government has used challenges to draw attention to and advance desired outcomes for specific issues. The competition aspect is a way to push the expectation for environmental and agronomic outcomes and, at the same time, narrow in on potential successors.
Why the exclusivity to the corn crop? Obviously, it's an important crop to the U.S., but are there other reasons for limiting the competition to one crop? The idea to focus on corn stems from its importance and scale as a crop and for its use of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer. In the United States, corn is the largest user of phosphorus and potassium. And, as a commodity crop, economics of production are important. It’s likely that solutions that advance nutrient use efficiency in corn would be feasible and applicable to other cropping systems.
This probably makes this one of the largest agri-tech competitions globally. How important was it to have an international dimension? The international dimension acknowledges that there are contributors to U.S. agriculture beyond our borders and that solutions can come from unknown entities. The ultimate winner in the challenge is U.S. agriculture as the challenge seeks solutions to improve the sustainability of our crop production systems. Where do you see some of the EEF disruptive technologies coming from in the Next Gen Fertilizer Innovations Challenge? I can’t predict where the most exciting and potentially successful technologies will come from, and because we couldn’t, the Next Gen Fertilizer Challenge is open to non-EEF products. That’s why we are seeking other product formulations and technologies that improve nutrient use efficiency. Beyond traditional stabilized, slow-, and controlled-release products, I think we could see entries from emerging biostimulants, organic matrices, multi-nutrient combinations and maybe even some type of EEF-biostimulant combination. For me, it’s part of the fun and excitement of the challenges. What can we expect as a future solution for modern agriculture? The competitions provide a launchpad for technology providers. Is there a rough outline on how to capitalize on it afterwards? From TFI’s perspective, we are taking the opportunity to elevate policymaker and stakeholder awareness of industry innovation, and we are seeking to address some of the product registration challenges our members contend with for these products. We also want to ensure member awareness of emerging technologies, business opportunities and ideas that can advance sustainable agricultural systems. Beyond the challenges, we’ll use the outcomes to advocate for greater research, communication and incentive program support that will further advance on-farm adoption. ●
