THE USE OF MINERAL FERTILIZERS IN US AGRICULTURE: TRENDS, FACTORS, PROSPECTS

Abstract

The use of mineral fertilizers as a top dressing for agricultural crops is one of the most important factors in the growth of their productivity. Over the past 60-70 years, there has been a steady increase in the use of fertilizers in the world. Russia, as one of the largest producers and net exporters of them, is the beneficiary of this process. At the same time, in the last 20-25 years, in the agriculturally developed countries of the world, primarily the United States, there has been a tendency to stabilize the volume of application of mineral fertilizers while continuing the trend of increasing crop yields for which they are applied. One of the most important reasons for this is the introduction of new information technologies, in particular, precision farming technology. In this regard, this paper examines the factors influencing the use of mineral fertilizers in US agriculture, and also evaluates the possible savings from using precision farming technology using the example of corn.