Improvement Of Nitrogen Use Efficiency Research Articles

Development and Application of Intragenic Markers for 14 Nitrogen-Use Efficiency Genes in Rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Asian cultivated rice consists of two main subspecies, xian/indica (XI) and geng/japonica (GJ), and GJ accessions have significantly lower nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE) than XI accessions. In order to facilitate genetic improvement of NUE in GJ accessions, we conducted haplotype analysis of 14 cloned NUE genes using 36 rice germplasm accessions with high-quality reference genome and developed 18 intragenic markers for elite haplotypes, which were then used to evaluate NUE genes in another 41 genetically diverse germplasm accessions from 12 countries and 71 approved GJ cultivars from northern provinces of China. Our results show that elite haplotypes of 12 NUE genes are mainly existed in XI accessions, but few is distributed in GJ accessions. The number of elite haplotypes carried by an XI accession can reach 10, while that carried by a GJ accession is less than 3. Surprisingly, the elite haplotype of gene DEP1 is nearly fixed in approved GJ cultivars, and elite haplotypes of gene MYB61 and NGR5 have been introduced into some approved GJ cultivars. The developed intragenic markers for NUE genes and evaluated 77 genetically diverse rice accessions could be of great use in the improvement of NUE in GJ cultivars.

Concurrent Improvement in Maize Grain Yield and Nitrogen Use Efficiency by Enhancing Inherent Soil Productivity.

Quantifying the relationships of maize yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) to inherent soil productivity (ISP) could provide a theoretical basis for implementing strategies that concurrently narrow the yield gap, increase NUE, and improve soil quality. A field study under irrigation conditions was conducted at five locations with large differences in ISP (estimated by maize grain yield without using fertilizers) across various ecological regions in Inner Mongolia, China. Our results showed that the changes in maize yield and nitrogen partial factor productivity (PFPN) to ISP followed a linear-plateau model, with a common inflection point. When ISP was below 8.0 t ha–1, maize yield and PFPN were stagnating at a low level, due to a trade-off between the contribution of soil and chemical fertilizers to yield. When ISP exceeded 8.0 t ha–1, the contribution rate of soil to yield stabilized at 80%, resulting in a simultaneous increase in maize yield by 1.2 t ha–1 and PFPN by 4.6 kg kg–1, for increasing ISP at each t ha–1. Our results indicated that while keeping other management strategies unchanged, to increase maize yield and PFPN by 15% or further 30%, it is necessary to increase ISP to 9.3 and 10.4 t ha–1, respectively. In this scenario, N input will be reduced by 33.5 and 47.5%, and apparent N losses will be reduced by 11.7 and 21.5%, respectively. Therefore, enhancing ISP could lead to a simultaneous improvement in yield and NUE as well as strongly support the green development of maize production.

Win-win for monosodium glutamate industry and paddy agriculture: Replacing chemical nitrogen with liquid organic fertilizer from wastewater mitigates reactive nitrogen losses while sustaining yields

Recycling nutrients from the monosodium glutamate (MSG) wastewater as a low-cost fertilizer is a cleaner practice in the MSG industry. However, the potential of liquid organic fertilizer (LOF) recovered from MSG wastewater serving as a substitute for chemical fertilizer, improving crop yields, and mitigating reactive nitrogen emissions, has not been investigated. In a two-year paddy field experiment, the LOF recovered from the MSG wastewater was used as top dressing, following a multi-splits fertigation way, to evaluate its effects on rice yield, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), NH3 volatilization and nitrogen leaching losses. For top-dressed N, with local traditional top-dressing strategy (broadcast urea in three splits) as control (CF), LOF fertigated in seven splits (LOF160, totally 160 kg N ha−1) was set in 2017, and another two reduced N levels for LOF top-dressing (LOF130 and LOF100) were included in 2018. Compared with CF, the LOF160, LOF130 and LOF100 achieved similar rice yields and showed significant improvements in NUE (19.4%, 25.5% and 34.4%, respectively). Furthermore, due to the specific N forms and the implementation practice of more splits and low split-dosage, the LOF fertigation significantly decreased the cumulative NH3 volatilization by 41.2%–67.7% and cumulative TDN leaching losses by 19.5%–44.1%. Although additional fertigation equipment investment is required, the LOF fertigation still improved the net economic benefits (NEB) by 10.4%–18.9% and the net economic and ecological benefit (NEEB) by 34.0%–54.9%, which primarily attributes to labor and fertilizer savings and the mitigation in environmental damage cost. This indicates that the use of recycled LOF as a substitute for chemical fertilizer can offer a promising option for delivering environmental and economic benefits of reduced chemical fertilizer use and industrial-agricultural pollution.

Uncovering Pathways Highly Correlated to NUE through a Combined Metabolomics and Transcriptomics Approach in Eggplant.

Nitrogen (N) fertilization is one of the main inputs to increase crop yield and food production. However, crops utilize only 30–40% of N applied; the remainder is leached into the soil, causing environmental and health damage. In this scenario, the improvement of nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE) will be an essential strategy for sustainable agriculture. Here, we compared two pairs of NUE-contrasting eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) genotypes, employing GC-MS and UPLC-qTOF-MS-based technologies to determine the differential profiles of primary and secondary metabolites in root and shoot tissues, under N starvation as well as at short- and long-term N-limiting resupply. Firstly, differences in the primary metabolism pathways of shoots related to alanine, aspartate and glutamate; starch, sucrose and glycine; serine and threonine; and in secondary metabolites biosynthesis were detected. An integrated analysis between differentially accumulated metabolites and expressed transcripts highlighted a key role of glycine accumulation and the related glyA transcript in the N-use-efficient genotypes to cope with N-limiting stress. Interestingly, a correlation between both sucrose synthase (SUS)- and fructokinase (scrK)-transcript abundances, as well as D-glucose and D-fructose accumulation, appeared useful to distinguish the N-use-efficient genotypes. Furthermore, increased levels of L-aspartate and L-asparagine in the N-use-efficient genotypes at short-term low-N exposure were detected. Granule-bound starch synthase (WAXY) and endoglucanase (E3.2.1.4) downregulation at long-term N stress was observed. Therefore, genes and metabolites related to these pathways could be exploited to improve NUE in eggplant.

Genetic improvement analysis of nitrogen uptake, utilization, translocation, and distribution in Chinese wheat in Henan Province

Genetic improvement analysis of the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of wheat ( Tritium aestivum L.) was undertaken to determine the factors guiding NUE in order to develop new wheat cultivars with high yield, high NUE and high quality. To investigate the genetic improvement of wheat NUE and its components, 31 wheat cultivars that had been widely planted in Henan Province since 1941 were grown under high N treatment (HN) and low N treatment (LN). The results indicated that grain yield and NUE have increased significantly with cultivar development since 1941, with an annual genetic gain of 1.03% and 0.74%, respectively, under HN and LN. The significant increase in NUE mainly resulted from a significant increase in N uptake efficiency (NupE) and N utilization efficiency (NutE). NutE was the predominant component contributing to NUE under HN, while NupE was more important than NutE for NUE under LN. The improvement of NutE occurred at the expense of lower grain N content (GNC) as grain yield increased. Breeding was shown to increase N translocation (NTE) by an annual genetic gain of 1.33% and 0.33%, respectively, under HN and LN. N accumulation at the maturity stage was higher in the modern cultivars compared to the pre-modern cultivars, mainly as a result of increased N accumulation during the stem elongation phase. The N translocation capacity of the vegetative tissues increased, and the N translocation efficiency of the sheath and chaff were higher than that of the leaves. Important genetic improvement targets for high NUE include increasing pre-anthesis N assimilation ability and post-anthesis N translocation capacity. Furthermore improvements in wheat breeding should include increasing both N uptake and NHI to improve NUE and reverse the trend of declining GNC. • Higher genetic gain of grain yield and N use efficiency under better environment. • Modern cultivars had higher N accumulation, mainly raised during stem elongation phase. • N utilization efficiency increased at the expense of lower grain N content. • Enhanced N translocation and uptake was important for N use efficiency improvement.

Optimization of combining controlled-release urea of different release period and normal urea improved rice yield and nitrogen use efficiency

ABSTRACT Controlled-release urea (CRU) and normal urea have been shown to improve yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in rice. However, the effects of combined fertilizers (CRU and normal urea, at different N ratios) on rice yield, temperature and solar radiation utilization efficiency (TSRUE) and NUEs remain unclear. In this study, CRU with release periods of 60 days and 100 days were mixed with urea at N ratios of 7:3, 6:4, 5:5, 4:6 and 3:7 and applied during the rice-growing season in a rice-wheat cropping system. Rice yield, dry matter accumulation (DMA), TSRUE and NUEs were investigated. The yields under one-time fertilization mode 2 (OFM2) and OFM8 were 5.36%-9.70% higher than that of farmer fertilization practices (FFP) on average across 2018 and 2019. The NUEs under OFM2 and OFM8 was 3.87%-35.56% and 6.26%-58.56% higher than that under FFP, respectively, across 2018 and 2019. Correlation analysis showed that TSRUE were significantly positively correlated with yield, DMA and NUEs. The higher TSRUE under OFM2 and OFM8 contributed to the synergistic improvement of yield and NUEs. Both OFM2 and OFM8 improved rice yields and NUEs compared to FFP while having lower fertilizer and labor costs; therefore, these treatments are worthy of promotion and application.

Aeroponic evaluation identifies variation in Indian potato varieties for root morphology, nitrogen use efficiency parameters and yield traits

Nitrogen (N) is an essential nutrient for plant growth and tuber yield in potato. Its excess application is harmful for environment, and therefore dissecting traits involved in improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and yield is essential to address them. This study was conducted to analyze variation in 56 Indian potato varieties at optimal N concentration (2 milli molar) under aeroponics for two years based on 17 different traits for root system architecture (length, surface area, diameter and volume), plant height, leaf area, root and shoot dry weight, tuber traits (number, yield and dry matter), and NUE parameters viz., NUE, agronomic NUE (AgNUE), nitrogen uptake efficiency (NUpE), nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUtE), harvest index (HI) and N harvest index (NHI). Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed in the varieties for most traits under the investigation. The Agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) analysis clearly distinguished the varieties into two main groups, and principal component analysis (PCA) analysis showed total 64.78% variability in the first two components. Significant and positive correlations were found for tuber yield with AgNUE, NUE and NUpE. On the other hand, top 10 promising varieties under aeroponics for above traits were Kufri Badshah, Kufri Frysona, Kufri Chipsona-3, Kufri Pushkar, Kufri Lalit, Kufri Ashoka, Kufri Sutlej, Kufri Jyoti, Kufri Mohan and Kufri Khyati. This study implies that a great variation exists in the Indian potato varieties including old and new categories and they can be exploited in breeding for increasing resource capture to improve NUE in potato.

CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing and natural variation analysis demonstrate the potential for HvARE1 in improvement of nitrogen use efficiency in barley.

Nitrogen is a major determinant of grain yield and quality. As excessive use of nitrogen fertilizer leads to environmental pollution and high production costs, improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is fundamental for a sustainable agriculture. Here, we dissected the role of the barley abnormal cytokinin response1 repressor 1 (HvARE1) gene, a candidate for involvement in NUE previously identified in a genome-wide association study, through natural variation analysis and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9)-mediated gene editing. HvARE1 was predominantly expressed in leaves and shoots, with very low expression in roots under low nitrogen conditions. Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation of immature embryos (cv. Golden Promise) with single guide RNAs targeting HvARE1 generated 22 T0 plants, from which four T1 lines harbored missense and/or frameshift mutations based on genotyping. Mutant are1 lines exhibited an increase in plant height, tiller number, grain protein content, and yield. Moreover, we observed a 1.5- to 2.8-fold increase in total chlorophyll content in the flag leaf at the grain filling stage. Delayed senescence by 10-14 d was also observed in mutant lines. Barley are1 mutants had high nitrogen content in shoots under low nitrogen conditions. These findings demonstrate the potential of ARE1 in NUE improvement in barley.

A novel seasonal-spatial integrated model for improving the economic-environmental performance of crop production

Excess agricultural nitrogen, mainly from manure and chemical fertilizers, is a primary source of nutrient pollution and presents serious environmental threats to natural ecosystems and human health. Improvements in nitrogen-use efficiency in crop production are critical for addressing the triple challenge of food insecurity, environmental degradation, and climate change. Approaches such as sustainable intensification that stress technological innovations have received the most attention. But science-based cropland use planning, a promising complementary approach, has so far been largely overlooked. Here we develop a spatially integrated economic-ecological modeling method to assess this previously unexplored potential for improving the economic-environmental performance of crop production by examining the seasonal and spatial implications of cropland and fertilizer use in Bangladesh. In doing so, we aim to make the modeling method accessible to researchers and practitioners interested in achieving the dual goal of food production and environmental sustainability for countries that are characterized by seasonal and spatial variations in crop mix and cropping practices.-The modeling method combines economic and ecological models to explore trade-offs between food security and environmental sustainability.-The modeling method considers both spatial and seasonal dimensions when measuring trade-offs.-The modeling method is highly suitable for adaptation to study topics concerning food security-ecosystem service trade-offs or to inform the design of related models.

Do lower nitrogen fertilization levels require breeding of different types of cultivars in triticale?

Key messageThe comparably low genotype-by-nitrogen level interaction suggests that selection in early generations can be done under high-input conditions followed by selection under different nitrogen levels to identify genotypes ideally suited for the target environment.Breeding high-yielding, nitrogen-efficient crops is of utmost importance to achieve greater agricultural sustainability. The aim of this study was to evaluate nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of triticale, investigate long-term genetic trends and the genetic architecture, and develop strategies for NUE improvement by breeding. For this, we evaluated 450 different triticale genotypes under four nitrogen fertilization levels in multi-environment field trials for grain yield, protein content, starch content and derived indices. Analysis of temporal trends revealed that modern cultivars are better in exploiting the available nitrogen. Genome-wide association mapping revealed a complex genetic architecture with many small-effect QTL and a high level of pleiotropy for NUE-related traits, in line with phenotypic correlations. Furthermore, the effect of some QTL was dependent on the nitrogen fertilization level. High correlations of each trait between N levels and the rather low genotype-by-N-level interaction variance showed that generally the same genotypes perform well over different N levels. Nevertheless, the best performing genotype was always a different one. Thus, selection in early generations can be done under high nitrogen fertilizer conditions as these provide a stronger differentiation, but the final selection in later generations should be conducted with a nitrogen fertilization as in the target environment.

Can Seaweed Extract Improve Yield and Quality of Brewing Barley Subjected to Different Levels of Nitrogen Fertilization?

Barley is the primary matrix for malting process of beer production. Farmers count on increasing cultivation inputs, especially nitrogen fertilization, in order to reach a higher yield. Nevertheless, an overuse of nitrogen, besides causing environmental damages, can determine a deterioration of quality traits of malting barley, in particular an increase in grains protein content, which should range between 10 and 11% as required by the mating industry. Over two successive years, barley was grown under 4 different nitrogen (N) doses—0 kg N ha−1—N0; 20 kg N ha−1—N20; 40 kg N ha−1—N40 and 60 kg N ha−1—N60, and subject to a biostimulant treatment (Ecklonia maxima seaweed extract). Barley yield and growth parameters increased with nitrogen and seaweed application. N40 was already sufficient in the second year to reach the plateau of the highest production. Biostimulant application increased 17.9% the nitrogen use efficiency, 15.7% the biomass production, and 17.0% the yield with respect to untreated plants. Our results indicate that a significant reduction in nitrogen is possible and desirable, combined with the application of a plant-based biostimulant like seaweed extract, which determines an improvement in nitrogen use efficiency, assuring a higher production and lower fertilization inputs.

Genetic Engineering and Genome Editing for Improving Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Plants.

Low nitrogen availability is one of the main limiting factors for plant growth and development, and high doses of N fertilizers are necessary to achieve high yields in agriculture. However, most N is not used by plants and pollutes the environment. This situation can be improved by enhancing the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in plants. NUE is a complex trait driven by multiple interactions between genetic and environmental factors, and its improvement requires a fundamental understanding of the key steps in plant N metabolism—uptake, assimilation, and remobilization. This review summarizes two decades of research into bioengineering modification of N metabolism to increase the biomass accumulation and yield in crops. The expression of structural and regulatory genes was most often altered using overexpression strategies, although RNAi and genome editing techniques were also used. Particular attention was paid to woody plants, which have great economic importance, play a crucial role in the ecosystems and have fundamental differences from herbaceous species. The review also considers the issue of unintended effects of transgenic plants with modified N metabolism, e.g., early flowering—a research topic which is currently receiving little attention. The future prospects of improving NUE in crops, essential for the development of sustainable agriculture, using various approaches and in the context of global climate change, are discussed.

Genetics of nitrogen use efficiency and its component traits under nitrogen-rich environment in wheat (Triticum aestivum)

Minimizing the footprints of overuse of nitrogen (N) on the ecosystem is the need of an hour. There is little information on the genetic inheritance of NUE and its component traits. The present study was therefore designed to study the genetic behaviour of NUE traits under abundant N supply. Diallel analysis of 21 F1 along with 7 parents was carried out for NUE traits, viz. shoot dry weight (SDW), root dry weight (RDW), maximum root length (MRL), N% in shoot, gram N in shoot (gN) and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) under high N in hydroponic condition. Analysis of variance revealed significance for both general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) for all NUE traits indicating the importance of both additive and non-additive gene action for these traits. Baker's ratio revealed a preponderance of additive genes over non-additive for SDW, RDW and MRLsuggesting thereby effectivity of selection for SDW, RDW, gN, and MRL in the early segregating generation of high GCA lines can improve NUE under high N. Crosses with high SCA effects for SDW, RDW, gN and N% were from the parent combination of high × low GCA effects, whereas for MRL, low × low GCA parents resulted in crosses with high SCA effect indicating the dispersal of favourable alleles in the different parents. Our study indicates the feasibility of improvement of NUE through direct selection for the component traits under N rich environment.

Molecular Regulatory Networks for Improving Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Rice.

Nitrogen is an important factor limiting the growth and yield of rice. However, the excessive application of nitrogen will lead to water eutrophication and economic costs. To create rice varieties with high nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) has always been an arduous task in rice breeding. The processes for improving NUE include nitrogen uptake, nitrogen transport from root to shoot, nitrogen assimilation, and nitrogen redistribution, with each step being indispensable to the improvement of NUE. Here, we summarize the effects of absorption, transport, and metabolism of nitrate, ammonium, and amino acids on NUE, as well as the role of hormones in improving rice NUE. Our discussion provide insight for further research in the future.

The improvement of nitrogen use efficiency of cucumber plant by increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide and root temperature in a greenhouse

ISHS VIII South-Eastern Europe Symposium on Vegetables and Potatoes The improvement of nitrogen use efficiency of cucumber plant by increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide and root temperature in a greenhouse

Genetic improvement of nitrogen use efficiency in crops.

Nitrogen (N) is an essential mineral nutrient for plant growth and development. N deficiency is the major factor limiting plant growth and crop production in most natural and agricultural soils. The green revolution of the 1960's boosted crop yields through cultivation of semi-dwarf plant varieties. However, green revolution wheat and rice varieties have relatively poor nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), require a high N fertilizer supply to achieve maximum yield potential, and this leads to an increase in production costs and environmental problem. Therefore, a major challenge for sustainable agriculture is whether improvement of NUE through the reduction of N fertilizer supply can be achieved without yield penalty. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of N-responsive plant growth, utilization and possibility for improvements of NUE in crops, and new breeding strategies through modulation of N-responsive growth-metabolism coordination for future sustainable agriculture.

Integrative Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Analysis at Organ Scale Reveals Gene Modules Involved in the Responses to Suboptimal Nitrogen Supply in Tomato

The development of high nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) cultivars under low N inputs is required for sustainable agriculture. To this end, in this study, we analyzed the impact of long-term suboptimal N conditions on the metabolome and transcriptome of tomato to identify specific molecular processes and regulators at the organ scale. Physiological and metabolic analysis revealed specific responses to maintain glutamate, asparagine, and sucrose synthesis in leaves for partition to sustain growth, while assimilated C surplus is stored in the roots. The transcriptomic analyses allowed us to identify root and leaf sets of genes whose expression depends on N availability. GO analyses of the identified genes revealed conserved biological functions involved in C and N metabolism and remobilization as well as other specifics such as the mitochondrial alternative respiration and chloroplastic cyclic electron flux. In addition, integrative analyses uncovered N regulated genes in root and leaf clusters, which are positively correlated with changes in the levels of different metabolites such as organic acids, amino acids, and formate. Interestingly, we identified transcription factors with high identity to TGA4, ARF8, HAT22, NF-YA5, and NLP9, which play key roles in N responses in Arabidopsis. Together, this study provides a set of nitrogen-responsive genes in tomato and new putative targets for tomato NUE and fruit quality improvement under limited N supply.

The Ghd7 transcription factor represses ARE1 expression to enhance nitrogen utilization and grain yield in rice

The genetic improvement of nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of crops is vital for grain productivity and sustainable agriculture. However, the regulatory mechanism of NUE remains largely elusive. Here, we report that the rice Grain number, plant height, and heading date7 (Ghd7) gene genetically acts upstream of ABC1 REPRESSOR1 (ARE1), a negative regulator of NUE, to positively regulate nitrogen utilization. As a transcriptional repressor, Ghd7 directly binds to two Evening Element-like motifs in the promoter and intron 1 of ARE1, likely in a cooperative manner, to repress its expression. Ghd7 and ARE1 display diurnal expression patterns in an inverse oscillation manner, mirroring a regulatory scheme based on these two loci. Analysis of a panel of 2656 rice varieties suggests that the elite alleles of Ghd7 and ARE1 have undergone diversifying selection during breeding. Moreover, the allelic distribution of Ghd7 and ARE1 is associated with the soil nitrogen deposition rate in East Asia and South Asia. Remarkably, the combination of the Ghd7 and ARE1 elite alleles substantially improves NUE and yield performance under nitrogen-limiting conditions. Collectively, these results define a Ghd7–ARE1-based regulatory mechanism of nitrogen utilization, providing useful targets for genetic improvement of rice NUE.

Transcriptomics reveal new insights into molecular regulation of nitrogen use efficiency in Solanum melongena.

Nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE) is a complex trait of great interest in breeding programs because through its improvement, high crop yields can be maintained whilst N supply is reduced. In this study, we report a transcriptomic analysis of four NUE-contrasting eggplant (Solanum melongena) genotypes following short- and long-term exposure to low N, to identify key genes related to NUE in the roots and shoots. The differentially expressed genes in the high-NUE genotypes are involved in the light-harvesting complex and receptor, a ferredoxin-NADP reductase, a catalase and WRKY33. These genes were then used as bait for a co-expression gene network analysis in order to identify genes with the same trends in expression. This showed that up-regulation of WRKY33 triggered higher expression of a cluster of 21 genes and also of other genes, many of which were related to N-metabolism, that were able to improve both nitrogen uptake efficiency and nitrogen utilization efficiency, the two components of NUE. We also conducted an independent de novo experiment to validate the significantly higher expression of WRKY33 and its gene cluster in the high-NUE genotypes. Finally, examination of an Arabidopsis transgenic 35S::AtWRKY33 overexpression line showed that it had a bigger root system and was more efficient at taking up N from the soil, confirming the pivotal role of WRKY33 for NUE improvement.

Controlled traffic farming effects on productivity of grain sorghum, rainfall and fertiliser nitrogen use efficiency

Controlled traffic farming (CTF) is a mechanisation system in which all machinery has the same (or modular) working and track width so that field traffic can be confined to the least possible area of permanent traffic lanes. CTF enables productivity of non-compacted crop beds to be optimised for given energy, fertiliser and water (rainfall) inputs. This study investigated the agronomic response and economic return of grain sorghum grown in compacted and non-compacted soils to represent the conditions of non-CTF and CTF systems, respectively. Yield-to-nitrogen (N) responses were derived following application of urea, 3,4-dimethyl pyrazole phosphate-treated urea (DMPP), and urea ammonium nitrate (UAN, 32% N) at rates between 0 and 300 kg ha −1 N. Selected soil properties were measured to guide parametrisation of the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM), which was used to assess long-term (55 years) effects of CTF and non-CTF soil conditions on crop productivity, rainfall use efficiency (RUE) and develop rainfall-runoff relationships. Grain yield and yield components (harvest Index, grain thousand-grain weight, number of grains) were significantly higher in CTF compared with non-CTF. On average, the most economic N rates, and corresponding grain yields, were 144 and 3428 kg ha −1 , and 100 and 1796 kg ha −1 for CTF and non-CTF, respectively. When N inputs were optimised, agronomic efficiency calculations showed 18% increase in CTF compared with non-CTF. Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) was 1.75 times higher in CTF than in non-CTF. Rainfall-use efficiency was about 65% higher in CTF, which concurrently reduced the amount of runoff compared with non-CTF. Average rainfall season (330–450 mm in-crop) grain yield was 30% lower in non-CTF compared with CTF. For subtropical conditions of Australia, long-term APSIM simulations showed that increased productivity and inter-season yield stability can increase gross margin of grain sorghum by AUD74 ha −1 or greater depending on the adopted tillage system and in-crop rainfall. In non-CTF systems, improvements in NUE and RUE are constrained by soil compaction. Enhanced efficiency fertilisers, such as DMPP-treated urea, cannot compensate for other stresses caused by soil compaction and therefore cannot achieve the same NUE and RUE as the CTF system. Adoption of CTF delivers improved resource-use efficiency and profitability in rainfall-limited environments. Long-term (1960–2015) simulation of grain yield (A) and runoff (D) as a function of in-crop rainfall. Modelled data for grain sorghum-fallow cropping on a Red Ferrosol in Toowoomba (Queensland, Australia) in controlled (CTF) and non-controlled traffic farming (non-CTF) systems, respectively. Continuous lines show the best fit to predicted data. Dotted vertical lines show the 30th (left) and 70th (right) percentiles rainfall, respectively. • Controlled traffic farming (CTF) increased long-term grain yields by 30% in average-rainfall seasons. • Fertiliser nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) was 1.75 times higher in CTF compared with non-CTF. • Rainfall use efficiency (RUE) was 65% higher in CTF compared with non-CTF, which significantly reduced runoff. • Avoidance of (random) field traffic is a pre-requisite for jointly improving fertiliser NUE and RUE. • In non-CTF, improvements in NUE and RUE are constrained by compaction. • Enhanced efficiency fertilisers cannot compensate for other stresses caused by compaction.