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The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs announced on January 4 that, according to scientific calculations, the fertilizer utilization rate for China’s three major grain crops—wheat, corn, and rice—in 2025 was 43.3%, up by 3.1 percentage points compared to 2020. The continuous improvement in the utilization rate of chemical fertilizers is the result of the combined efforts of policy guidance, integrated technological innovation, and optimized extension services. “Since the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has been continuously advancing efforts to reduce the use of fertilizers while improving their efficiency. It has carried out pilot projects for green farming and breeding cycles, deepened the practice of soil testing-based fertilizer application, promoted the integrated use of technologies aimed at reducing fertilizer use while enhancing efficiency, and actively fostered specialized services for scientific fertilizer application – all of which have contributed to a steady improvement in the efficiency of fertilizer utilization. The implementation of soil-test-based fertilization is being advanced further. The promotion of soil testing-based formula fertilization is an important foundation for improving fertilizer utilization. By systematically advancing through the five key stages of testing, formulating, producing, supplying, and applying fertilizers, soil testing is carried out on a wide scale, fertilizer formulas are continuously optimized, fertilizer recommendations are upgraded to a \"one-field, one-strategy\" approach, connections between agricultural enterprises are strengthened, and formula fertilizers are put into use in fields. Currently, the annual application area of soil testing and formula fertilization techniques across the country exceeds 2.3 billion mu-times, with the coverage rate of these techniques for the three major grain crops exceeding 95%. For example, in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the use of soil-test-based fertilization techniques, combined with straw returning to the field and simultaneous seeding and fertilization, has resulted in a 10%–20% reduction in fertilizer use and an increase in yield of over 15%. “The “three new” integrated model expands coverage and boosts efficiency. The \"three new\" integration model, centered on new fertilization technologies, new fertilizer products, and new application equipment, has become an important approach to improving the utilization rate of chemical fertilizers. New technologies such as side deep fertilization for rice, simultaneous sowing of seeds and fertilizer for corn, and mechanical deep fertilization for wheat are widely used in combination with new products like slow- and controlled-release fertilizers, as well as new equipment such as integrated water and fertilizer management systems. By 2025, the area covered by side-deep fertilization for rice cultivation is expected to exceed 26 million mu, with the utilization rate of nitrogen fertilizer increasing by 2.1 percentage points ； The area covered by integrated water and fertilizer management for corn and wheat increased by over 20 million mu compared to 2024; the average yield per mu rose by more than 100 kilograms, and the utilization rate of nitrogen fertilizer increased by 2.5 percentage points. Multiple alternatives promote synergistic nutrient effects. Replacing part of chemical fertilizers with organic fertilizers, microbial fertilizers, green manures, and other alternatives to promote synergistic effects between organic and inorganic nutrients is an important measure for improving the efficiency of chemical fertilizer use. By 2025, the area covered by organic fertilizer use across the country will exceed 650 million mu-times, with an average 10% reduction in chemical fertilizer use in the pilot areas for green farming and breeding cycles. By combining organic and inorganic fertilizers, along with the shallow burial drip irrigation and integrated fertilizer-water management technique, winter wheat in North China achieves a yield increase of over 10%, while reducing fertilizer use by more than 20%. Specialized services drive the implementation of technology. The development of specialized services for scientific fertilization is an important factor in improving the efficiency of fertilizer use. According to statistics, there are over 17,000 scientific fertilization service organizations nationwide, covering an annual service area of 250 million mu. Through a comprehensive set of services such as smart fertilizer distribution points, expert-driven fertilization systems, and drone-based operations, the challenge of overcoming the ‘last mile’ in implementing these technologies is addressed. Officials from the Planting Management Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the National Agricultural Technology Extension Service stated that the 15th Five-Year Plan period is a crucial time for improving the comprehensive agricultural production capacity as well as the quality and efficiency of agriculture. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will focus on strengthening overall planning and establishing a precise management system for fertilizers and water use ； Strengthen policy guidance and focus targeted efforts on key areas ； Accelerate fertilizer legislation to provide legal safeguards for scientific fertilization, and advance the work on scientific fertilization in three aspects to greater depth.