According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on January 4, scientific calculations show that the fertilizer utilization rate for China's three major grain crops—wheat, corn, and rice—reached 43.3% in 2025, an increase of 3.1 percentage points compared to 2020. The continuous improvement in fertilizer utilization is the result of systematic policy guidance, integrated technological innovation, and optimized extension services. Since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has consistently promoted initiatives to reduce fertilizer use while increasing efficiency. Efforts have included robust pilot projects for green planting and breeding cycles, deepening soil testing and formulated fertilization practices, advancing the integrated application of technologies for reducing usage and enhancing efficiency, and actively fostering specialized service organizations for scientific fertilization. These measures have effectively supported the steady improvement of fertilizer utilization efficiency.

Soil testing and formulated fertilization have been further advanced. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, agricultural and rural departments at all levels extensively conducted soil testing, continuously optimized fertilizer formulations, strengthened collaboration between agriculture and enterprises, and promoted the application of formulated fertilizers in the field. In 2025, the coverage rate of soil testing and formulated fertilization technology for the three major grain crops nationwide exceeded 95%.

The integrated application of "three new" models has expanded in scope and effectiveness. The widespread adoption of new scientific fertilization products, technologies, and equipment has been vigorously promoted. In 2025, the area under side-deep fertilization for rice exceeded 26 million mu, accompanied by the use of specialized slow-release and controlled-release fertilizers, which increased nitrogen fertilizer utilization by 2.1 percentage points. The area under fertigation for corn and wheat increased by over 20 million mu compared to the previous year, supporting an average yield increase of more than 100 kilograms in demonstration zones.

Diversified alternatives have promoted synergistic nutrient efficiency. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the application of rhizobium inoculants for soybeans was extended to nearly 80 million mu, reducing nitrogen fertilizer application by an average of 0.5 kilograms per mu. In 2025, the area under organic fertilizer application nationwide exceeded 650 million mu-times, with pilot projects for green planting and breeding cycles reducing fertilizer usage by an average of 10%.

Specialized services have facilitated the implementation of technologies. According to surveys, there are currently over 17,000 socialized service organizations for scientific fertilization nationwide, serving an annual area of 250 million mu-times. Additionally, there are more than 2,200 intelligent fertilizer blending service outlets, producing over 4 million tons of blended fertilizers annually. These specialized and socialized scientific fertilization services have significantly contributed to the improvement of fertilizer utilization rates.