Maximizing Nutrient Use Efficiency
With growing demands for sustainable agriculture, innovative crop nutrition, and responsible resource stewardship, Nutrient Use Efficiency (NUE) has moved to the forefront of priorities for agronomists, product formulators, and innovation managers.
Why does Nutrient Use Efficiency (NUE) matter?
Defined as the crop yield produced per unit of nutrient applied, NUE is a cornerstone metric influencing farm profitability, crop quality, and environmental impact worldwide.
Achieving high NUE unlocks three key benefits:
- Yield and quality: Optimizing nutrient uptake delivers robust, high-quality harvests for growers and processors.
- Environmental stewardship: Higher NUE reduces nutrient loss through leaching or runoff, addressing environmental concerns such as waterway eutrophication and greenhouse gas emissions.
- Economic value: Producers and crop input suppliers alike benefit financially by using less, but more effective, fertilizer and biostimulant inputs.
For R&D professionals, buyers, and product managers—adopting a science-driven approach to NUE is critical for developing the next generation of high-performance, sustainable agriscience products.
From principles to formulation
Competitors and partners are already educating customers on foundational NUE concepts and best practices, such as the 4R Nutrient Stewardship—applying the right source, at the right rate, at the right time, and in the right place. While this guidance is crucial, the greatest challenge lies in translating these principles into practice at the product formulation level, ensuring every component of a fertilizer or biostimulant supports maximum nutrient uptake and plant health.
Key pain points identified in the industry include:
- Incomplete nutrient uptake resulting from poor root development, suboptimal soil–plant–microbe interactions, or immobilized nutrients.
- Environmental losses that persist despite advanced fertilizer technologies, often due to insufficient microbe activity or limited bioavailability.
- Formulation bottlenecks, such as maintaining microbial viability and efficacy, especially when combining biologicals with chemical or controlled-release solutions.
Roquette’s solutions: building better biostimulants and fertilizers from the inside out
Roquette delivers unique value by empowering innovators—not just at the farm level, but at the heart of product development.
SOLULYS®: Fueling beneficial microbes for enhanced nutrient cycling
SOLULYS® is a hydrolyzed plant protein substrate rich in peptides and amino acids. These nutrients not only nourish crops but are scientifically proven to serve as prebiotic feedstocks for beneficial soil microbes. Research has demonstrated substrates like SOLULYS® help ensure strong initial colonization, higher viability, and greater metabolic activity from inoculated microorganisms.
Formulation value :
- Boosts rhizosphere activity for improved N, P, and K bioavailability.
- Enhance root growth, plant stress resilience, and nutrient assimilation.
- Compatible with microbial and non-microbial biostimulants, as well as advanced fertilizer blends.
By feeding soil biology, SOLULYS® unlocks both nutrient availability and long-term improvements to soil structure and organic matter.
Polyols: Mannitol, Sorbitol, and NEOSORB® AG— improving soil nutrient environment and accelerating soil nutrient cycling.
The role of polyols in plant care is well described in the literature, demonstrating increased productivity and tolerance to environmental stresses (drought, high salinity, etc.). Naturally occurring in many plant families, and found in many seaweed and algal extracts, polyols are a natural stress-related metabolite used as a chelating agent, cryoprotectant, and in the transport of sugars. Polyols are naturally unreactive and highly compatible with other bioactive compounds.
Solution integration: Support for controlled-release, nitrogen stabilizers, and adaptive management
Roquette ingredients support both microbial and conventional agronomic technologies. Whether you’re developing nitrogen stabilizers, controlled-release granules, or formulating complete adaptive management solutions, our expert support and ingredient portfolio ensure compatibility and functionality at every stage.
Get started: Formulate for the future with Roquette
Join leading bio stimulant and fertilizer innovators who trust Roquette’s SOLULYS®, polyols, and agronomy support to deliver smarter, more sustainable nutrient use solutions. Build efficacy, maximize yield, and exceed sustainability goals—starting at the ingredient level.
Ready to upgrade your next agricultural formulation? Contact Roquette’s agronomy specialists today to unlock your next breakthrough in Nutrient Use Efficiency.