In the last 40 years, the global use of mineral N fertilizers has increased to support
increasing food demand. Misuse of fertilizer has led to environmental problems in some
regions and the rarefaction of energy leads to an increasing cost of mineral N fertilizers. For
these reasons, improving N-use efficiency of crops and cropping systems is becoming a real
challenge to growers, agronomists and breeders. Nitrogen-use efficiency depends on
agronomic practices including mineral and organic nitrogen fertilization and the use of …