USA
April 30, 2026
The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) is investing $7.5 million to establish the Agricultural Nitrogen Use Efficiency Platform (AgNUE), a collaborative research network designed to help farmers use nitrogen more efficiently through extensive field experiments and model development. The five-year, $34.7 million initiative is supported by $27.2 million in matching funds from the Novo Nordisk Foundation.
Nitrogen fertilizer is essential for producing high-yielding crops; however, fertilizer overapplication is common due in part to a lack of site-specific information for precise management strategies. This information is challenging to obtain because nitrogen is very dynamic in space and time and it is difficult to directly observe losses. Fertilizer overapplication contributes to rising input costs for farmers, water quality challenges and increased nitrous oxide emissions.
By using the latest science and measurement technologies, AgNUE will improve understanding of how nitrogen is used by crops and what factors contribute to losses and inefficiencies. With this knowledge, AgNUE will provide farmers with increased access to site-specific data and tools to match fertilizer applications more precisely to crop needs.
Farmers need science-based solutions that improve efficiency without sacrificing yields. This collaborative research effort can help generate critical data to inform science-based management strategies that strengthen U.S. agriculture’s competitiveness and protect farmer profitability. Ultimately, AgNUE will help ensure farmers can produce abundant food, lower input costs and protect their land for generations to come.
Allison Thomson
Scientific Program Director
Sustaining Vibrant Agroecosystems
AgNUE brings together leading research institutions in the United States and Europe, including North Carolina State University, University of Illinois, Colorado State University and Aarhus University. FFAR’s investment supports participation from U.S. universities and at U.S. field sites, enabling direct benefits to U.S. Producers.
This initiative is establishing various research sites across diverse soils, climates and cropping systems. These sites will measure how nitrogen moves through fields using advanced monitoring technologies. Researchers will use this information to improve computer models that predict nitrogen losses under different weather conditions and management practices.
By combining real-world field measurements with advanced analytics and artificial intelligence, AgNUE will reduce uncertainty around nitrogen management and accelerate adoption of effective, practical solutions.
The result will be more accurate decision-support tools to help farmers determine the right fertilizer rate, timing and management strategies for their operations. This knowledge can help inform more effective policies, incentivize innovation, and accelerate adoption of practices that maximize productivity and environmental stewardship.
Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research
The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) builds public-private partnerships to fund bold research addressing big food and agriculture challenges. FFAR was established in the 2014 Farm Bill to increase public agriculture research investments, fill knowledge gaps and complement the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s research agenda. FFAR’s model matches federal funding from Congress with private funding, delivering a powerful return on taxpayer investment. Through collaboration and partnerships, FFAR advances actionable science benefiting farmers, consumers and the environment.
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