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Current trends and characteristics in the development of fertilizers at home and abroad. The growth of crops requires the supply of various nutrient elements, and the main source of these elements is the application of different fertilizers. Chemical fertilizers play a key role in increasing crop yields; according to statistics from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization over the years, chemical fertilizers account for around 40% of the contribution to increased crop yields. It is evident, therefore, that chemical fertilizers play a crucial role in agricultural production. However, after fertilizers are applied to the soil, due to factors such as the properties of the fertilizers themselves and the conditions of the soil environment, the efficiency of these fertilizers for the crops grown in that season is relatively low. Taking nitrogen fertilizer, which is used in the largest quantities, as an example, the utilization rate of nitrogen fertilizer in China is only 30%–35%, which is about 10 percentage points lower than that in developed countries. The utilization rate of phosphorus fertilizer during the same growing season is only 20%–30%, while the utilization rate of potassium fertilizer is 35%–40%. This not only leads to significant waste of chemical fertilizers but also has negative effects on the ecological environment. To this end, in recent years countries around the world have taken the ability to improve the efficiency of fertilizer use as the starting point for their efforts in developing new types of fertilizers, as well as in organizing their production and application. According to the developments from the 11th World Fertilizer Conference held in Ghent, Belgium, in September 1997, developed countries such as Western Europe, North America, and Japan do not aim primarily at increasing crop yields; instead, their focus is on improving the quality of crop products. In terms of the development trends in fertilizers, there is a shift from high-concentration, compound fertilizers to fertilizers that are more specialized, have longer-lasting effects, and are environmentally friendly, with the aim of further improving the efficiency of fertilizer use and reducing the impact of chemical fertilizers on the ecological environment. Overall, the development trend of fertilizers at home and abroad today is the \"four modernizations and two integrations\". “The “four modernizations” refer to: high concentration of fertilizers, multi-component compounding, specialization, long-lasting effectiveness, and pollution-free characteristics; the “two combinations” refer to the combination of chemical fertilizers with organic fertilizers, as well as the combination of organic and inorganic fertilizers with biological fertilizers. 1. High concentration and multi-component complexity of fertilizers. The high concentration and multi-component composition of chemical fertilizers involve increasing the concentration of nutrients in these fertilizers, by combining various nutrients to create multi-component (mixed) fertilizers, in order to meet the needs of modern agricultural production. Currently, countries around the world are focusing on developing the production of high-concentration, multi-component (mixed) fertilizers. The main types include urea, calcium carbonate, ammonium phosphate, phosphoric acid fertilizers, as well as compound fertilizers containing various amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, among others. In some developed countries, 60% of the nitrogen fertilizers used, as well as 70%–90% of the phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, are supplied in the form of compound (mixed) fertilizers. In our country, at present the output of compound (mixed) fertilizers accounts for only about 30% of the total fertilizer production. 2. Specialization of fertilizers. An important trend in the current production of compound (mixed) fertilizers is the shift from general-purpose types to specialized types. This is because specialized compound (mixed) fertilizers have three key characteristics: First, they promote high yields, as their nutrient composition is determined based on the specific fertilizer needs of different soils and crops, allowing for targeted application and effective yield improvement. Second, they are suitable for use with a particular crop in a certain type of soil, but not for all crops or different soils in various regions. Third, they offer flexibility – the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in such fertilizers is not fixed; over the years, as the nutrient levels in a particular soil change, the formula must be adjusted accordingly. 3. Prolonged effectiveness of fertilizers. There is a demand for fertilizers to provide stable and sustained nutrient supply; that is, after being applied to the soil, the release pattern of their nutrients should be in line with the crop’s nutrient requirements throughout its growth period, so as to reduce nutrient leaching and environmental pollution, thereby achieving higher yields with less input. At the same time, by making fertilizers more long-lasting and applying them once at the beginning, the nutrient needs of crops throughout their growth period can be met, thereby achieving benefits such as reduced labor and time costs as well as increased yields. In some developed countries, such as the United States, Japan, Canada, Germany, Italy, etc., to achieve long-lasting effectiveness of fertilizers, various polymer coatings are added to control the rate at which nitrogen fertilizers are released. 4. Pollution-free fertilizers. Since the reform and opening up, people’s living standards have generally improved, and their demands for the quality of agricultural products have also increased. Therefore, developing pollution-free agricultural products is an important direction for development. Bio-organic compound (mixed) fertilizers are a new type of fertilizer that has seen rapid development internationally in recent years. This fertilizer combines biological fertilizers, organic fertilizers, and inorganic nutrients. It takes advantage of the ability of beneficial bacteria to activate the soil and transform its nutrients, makes use of the properties of organic matter in enriching and improving the soil, and also leverages the rapid availability of inorganic nutrients. In this way, it not only ensures higher crop yields but also improves the quality of the products, while simultaneously enhancing and enriching the soil. 5. The combination of chemical fertilizers and organic fertilizers. The role of organic matter in soil is irreplaceable by any other elemental nutrients. Developed countries use practices such as fallow farming and rotation in agriculture; this involves planting crops on farmland intermittently to allow the land to rest. When harvesting crops, only the fruits are taken, while the straw is crushed and returned to the soil. As a result of this, not only is the organic matter content in the soil increased, but the soil quality is also improved. For various reasons in our country, the organic matter content in the soil is decreasing year by year; therefore, it is even more important to make good use of a combination of chemical fertilizers and organic fertilizers. Peat and lignite are organic materials rich in organic matter and humic acids, and should be made more widely use. Not only do they help improve soil quality and enhance fertility, but they also contribute to drought resistance and water conservation, as well as to improving the quality of agricultural products. 6. The combination of bioactive bacteria with organic and inorganic nutrients. The combination of bioactive bacteria and inorganic nutrients not only helps to regulate the ecological environment of soil microorganisms around plant roots, increasing the population and quantity of microorganisms in the soil, but also reduces the occurrence of root diseases in crops. Bioactive bacteria also have the ability to fix nitrogen and to break down insoluble phosphorus and potassium elements that accumulate in the soil and cannot be directly absorbed by crops, thereby improving the efficiency of use of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers.