Disrupted global supply of fertiliser, rising input costs and tightening environmental regulations are pushing tree crop growers to rethink how they use nitrogen.
For tree crop growers, nitrogen remains one of the most critical and costly seasonal inputs – yet conventional fertiliser programs are inherently inefficient.
Research consistently shows less than 50 per cent of applied nitrogen is recovered by the crop, with the remainder lost through leaching, volatilisation, or denitrification.
In tree fruit systems, this inefficiency is compounded by variable root zone depth, irregular rainfall, and the metabolic energy cost of converting nitrate nitrogen into plant protein.
A different form of nitrogen
One approach gaining traction in commercial tree crop programs is the use of stabilised amine nitrogen (NH₂) rather than conventional nitrate-based or unstabilised fertilisers.
Amine nitrogen is processed directly in the roots, bypassing the energy-intensive nitrate conversion pathway.
The carbon cost of protein synthesis drops significantly – approximately 0.5 units of carbon per unit of protein, compared to around six units with conventional nitrate nitrogen.
For the crop, this means the nitrogen it receives is used more efficiently, with less energy diverted away from growth and yield.
Amine nitrogen also binds to soil cation exchange capacity (CEC) sites, anchoring it in the root zone rather than allowing it to move freely through the soil profile.
In many of the soils common across Australian tree cropping regions, this characteristic is particularly relevant.
Lono, developed by Levity Crop Science, applies these principles in a commercially available formulation which has been in use across multiple crops and countries for more than 15 years.
What the data shows
Commercial and research trials across multiple countries and cropping systems have reported nitrogen reductions of 30-60 per cent compared to standard programs, without yield penalty – and in many cases with yield improvements.
Trees treated within structured Lono programs have shown improved uptake of both macronutrients and micronutrients, alongside better canopy balance and improved resilience under stress conditions.
The efficacy of this stabilised amine nitrogen has been assessed in peer-reviewed research across several crop types.
Practical considerations
Amine nitrogen programs are typically integrated alongside – not in place of – existing nitrogen inputs, with the aim of improving the efficiency of every kilogram of N applied rather than simply reducing volume.
In tree crop applications, timing to active growth flush periods appears to be important to capturing the greatest efficiency benefit – spring flush, post-harvest flush, and canopy development are the periods most commonly targeted.
Application rates in commercial programs typically run to around 10 L/ha per application, applied three to four times per season or on a monthly basis, either as a foliar spray or through fertigation.
At reported rates of nitrogen reduction, fertiliser savings can offset a meaningful portion of product cost, though this will vary considerably by program, crop, and baseline nitrogen use.
Stabilised anime nitrogen offers a practical, low-risk pathway to improving NUE without sacrificing productivity – for growers under pressure from rising input costs, environmental compliance, or simply looking to lift efficiency.
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