Astamuse Analyzes Agricultural Nitrogen-Cycling Technologies, Highlighting Nitrification Inhibitors, Biological Nitrogen Fixation, and Precision Fertilization

Astamuse Co., Ltd. (headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Ayumu Nagai) has comprehensively analyzed trends in agricultural nitrogen-cycling technologies using its proprietary innovation database, which covers papers, patents, startups, grants, and other R&D information, and compiled the results into a report. Agricultural nitrogen-cycling technologies aim to control nitrogen losses in farming while addressing greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution, and fertilizer efficiency. Nitrogen is essential for plant growth, but it also has a major environmental impact. The Haber-Bosch process, developed in the early 20th century, enabled mass production of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers and dramatically improved agricultural productivity. However, only about 50% of the nitrogen contained in applied fertilizer is actually absorbed by crops, while the remaining half is released into the environment. This “nitrogen loss” is one of agriculture’s largest unresolved challenges. Part of the lost nitrogen is emitted into the atmosphere as nitrous oxide (N₂O). Agriculture is estimated to account for 60% to 70% of total human-caused N₂O emissions, contributing to global warming and ozone layer depletion. Nitrogen that flows into water systems as nitrate nitrogen (NO₃⁻) also causes eutrophication in lakes and coastal areas and can contaminate drinking water. “Agricultural nitrogen-cycling technology” seeks to solve three issues at the same time: reducing N₂O emissions as a climate measure, preventing nitrate leaching to protect water quality, and maximizing efficiency through precision fertilization. The common root cause behind these issues lies in microbial metabolic processes in soil known as nitrification and denitrification. Nitrification converts fertilizer-derived ammonium ions (NH₄⁺) into nitrate nitrogen (NO₃⁻) via nitrite nitrogen (NO₂⁻). Denitrification reduces NO₃⁻ step by step into nitrogen gas (N₂), sometimes releasing the greenhouse gas N₂O as a byproduct. One effective approach is the use of nitrification inhibitors. These substances suppress the conversion of NH₄⁺ into NO₂⁻, allowing NH₄⁺ to remain in soil for longer. This can simultaneously reduce N₂O formation, prevent nitrate runoff, and improve fertilizer efficiency. The ability to address all three challenges through a single measure is a defining feature of this technology. Policy momentum is also accelerating. Policies such as the EU’s 2020 Farm to Fork Strategy and Japan’s 2021 Strategy for Sustainable Food Systems are setting long-term goals to reduce chemical fertilizer use and realize sustainable agriculture. The report identifies the combination of technology development and policy guidance as a key trend in this field. Using its proprietary database, Astamuse analyzed technology trends related to agricultural nitrogen-cycling technologies across patents, papers, grants, and startups, based on data from the most recent decade, 2015 to 2024. For patents, Astamuse extracted and analyzed 7,121 patent records whose titles and abstracts included keywords such as “nitrogen fixation,” “nitrification inhibition,” “N2O reduction,” and “precision fertilization.” Patent keyword trends reveal three major technological currents. First is the diversification of nitrification inhibition technologies. Keywords related to the molecular structures of chemical nitrification inhibitors were concentrated between 2020 and 2022. “Pyridine-4-carboxamide” relates to the search for new compounds, while “nitrapyrin” appears in patents concerning improvements to formulations of existing agents, such as polymer complexes and microencapsulation. Patents related to “sakuranetin,” a biological nitrification inhibitor naturally secreted from plant roots, have continued to increase since 2021. R&D in nitrification inhibitors is expanding beyond new compound discovery toward environmentally conscious formulations and naturally derived alternatives. Second is the expansion of agricultural applications for biological nitrogen fixation (BNF). Keywords related to foundational nitrogen fixation technologies, such as “nitrogen-fixation” and “nitrogenase,” have maintained stable patent filing levels over the past decade. Particularly notable is the growth of keywords related to “endophytic” microbes and “non-leguminous” plants. This indicates rising interest in approaches that do not depend on the conventional symbiosis between legumes and rhizobia. Gene-related keywords such as “nosZ” and “GmNAP1/GmNAS1/GmNFYC10a” are also appearing, showing that results from molecular biology research are beginning to be converted into patent rights. Third is the emergence of N₂O reduction and precision nitrogen management. “Variable-rate” technology appears in patents for agricultural machinery that enables smart and precise fertilization linked to sensors and data. It has gradually increased since 2015. The increase after 2020 in keywords that directly refer to N₂O as a greenhouse gas, such as “n2o” and “nitrous,” shows that agricultural nitrogen management is being explicitly positioned as a climate change measure. Patent filings are expected to grow further as carbon credit markets develop and national policies advance. By country, China has the largest number of patent filings. Its filings peaked in 2016 and 2017, bottomed out in 2021, and have been recovering since 2022. During the peak period, patents were mainly product-oriented filings by fertilizer manufacturers, including organic waste recycling and physical coating of fertilizers. Since 2022, however, the technological focus has shifted toward smart precision fertilization using drones and AI, BNF enhancement through gene editing, and carbon management systems aimed at reducing N₂O. Applicants have also shifted from individual filings to industry-academia collaborations between universities and high-tech companies, suggesting a qualitative transition in R&D. Excluding China, the United States has the highest number of filings, while PCT international applications (WO) are also at a comparable level, indicating active international filings aimed at securing rights across multiple countries. Recent filings outside China show innovation centered on biotechnology and data businesses, including nitrogen fixation for non-leguminous plants using genetically modified microorganisms, environmentally friendly formulations using biodegradable polymers, and N₂O emission quantification systems linked to carbon credit markets. The report highlights several patent examples, including a biodegradable polymer-based liquid fertilizer additive nitrification inhibitor from Soilgenic Technologies; a University of Washington patent for microbial consortia of endophytic nitrogen-fixing bacteria designed to supply nitrogen to major non-leguminous grains; and a Nanjing Agricultural University system that combines the CLUMondo land-use change simulation model with machine learning to dynamically predict N₂O emissions from farmland. Astamuse notes that this report discloses only part of its analysis. Beyond nitrogen-cycling technologies, the company conducts daily analyses of various advanced technologies and emerging fields for companies and investors. By combining data sources such as R&D grants, startup and venture data, patents, and papers, Astamuse provides multi-layered analysis from different time horizons and player perspectives, supporting R&D, M&A, and business strategy development as well as medium- to long-term forecasting of opportunities and threats.