Science Snapshot: Can better fertilizer feed Arizona’s future?

In Arizona agriculture, every drop of water and every pound of fertilizer counts. At the University of Arizona’s Maricopa Agricultural Center, agronomist Bhupinder Singh is studying whether farmers can make their nitrogen investment go further, while keeping more nutrients where crops can use them. 

Singh is leading a field project aimed at examining Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers (EEFs) in irrigated durum wheat and cotton. These fertilizers use stabilizers or coatings to slow nutrient losses, helping keep nitrogen available to plants for longer. His multidisciplinary team includes researchers from Biosystems Engineering, Environmental Science, the School of Plant Sciences and the USDA-ARS Arid Land Agricultural Research Center. 

The work builds on promising results from 2025. In preliminary trials, urea – a widely used nitrogen fertilizer – treated with the stabilizer NBPT increased durum wheat yields under a relatively low nitrogen input of 180 pounds per acre. NBPT, short for N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide, is a urease inhibitor. Urease is an enzyme in soil that breaks down fertilizer. By slowing down that process, NBPT may reduce nitrogen losses and keep more of the nutrient available to crops. 

During the 2026 growing season, researchers are testing different fertilizer rates and application timings using ground equipment with electronic rate controllers. They are also using advanced phenotyping tools to track what is happening inside the crop as it grow, including photosynthesis, chlorophyll content, chlorophyll fluorescence and canopy temperature. 

“The study will provide essential baseline information on the optimal timing and rate of Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers (EFFs) application for crops such as cotton and durum wheat,” Singh said. 

The stakes extend beyond the individual field. Cotton and durum wheat are important contributors to Arizona’s agricultural economy. A U of A Cooperative Extension analysis found that cotton farming and ginning generated more than $322 million in total economic output in 2022, including multiplier effects, and supported 1,446 jobs. In 2025, Arizona’s durum wheat crop generated $45.9 million in direct sales and plays an important role as a rotational crop in Arizona’s high-value winter vegetable industry.

For growers, the economics come down to more than the value of the crop. Nitrogen is a significant financial investment, particularly for cotton producers, where Singh said it comes second only to water. 

“Preventing nutrient loss is crucial for maintaining profitability and reducing the need for costly mid-season reapplications,” Singh said. 

That is where enhanced-efficiency fertilizers come in. In Arizona’s desert soils, which are naturally low in nitrogen, conventional water-soluble fertilizers can dissolve and move beyond the crop’s root zone under intensive irrigation. EEFs are designed with coatings or chemical inhibitors that slow those losses, keeping nutrients available to plants for longer. 

But the technology comes with a price, EEFs typically cost more upfront than conventional fertilizers, making it important to determine whether the added expense translates into greater crop productivity and a better return on investment, Singh explained. And that cuts to the heart of the project, he said, “improving efficiencies and maximizing return on fertilizer investment.” 

The research also tests how well these technologies perform under conditions that are distinct to Arizona’s arid lands agriculture. EEFs are not new, he explained, however there is relatively little field research that has examined their performance in desert soils marked by high pH, high temperatures, low organic matter, and moisture variability caused by irrigation. 

“Field research like this is essential to formulate advanced fertility programs for desert crops,” Singh said. 

The research is funded by the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research through the Efficient Fertilizer Consortium, a public-private partnership supporting research into enhanced-efficiency and novel fertilizer products and practices. 

For Arizona growers, the ultimate goal is straightforward: better information about how to use fertilizer efficiently, helping crops produce more while reducing unnecessary nutrient losses in a water-limited environment. 

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