Fertilizer application rate and nutrient use efficiency in Chinese greenhouse vegetable production

China's greenhouse vegetable production has rapidly expanded over 30 years. We reviewed 476 papers from 1990 to 2021 to investigate the changes in the conventional application rate (CAR) and nutrient use efficiency (NUE) of fertilizers. The results indicated a decrease in the CAR of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizers from 1993 to 2020. In contrast, the CAR of potassium (K) fertilizer exhibited an initial increase from 1993 to 2005, followed by a decline from 2006 to 2020. The CAR of fertilizer was higher in the warm area around the Bohai Sea and the rainy subtropical area in the Yangtze River basin compared to other areas. Additionally, it was higher in fruit vegetables than in other types of vegetables. Compound and water-soluble fertilizers replaced single-nutrient fertilizers gradually, and the proportion of organic nutrients decreased in the recent decade. The NUE of fertilizers decreased during 2006–2010 and showed an upward trend after 2010. Controlled release/slow-release fertilizer emerged as the most effective measure for enhancing the NUE of N fertilizer, demonstrating an average increase of 66.71 %. Combining multiple single measures was also effective. Our findings suggest that an optimal fertilizer management is a key factor to maintain the long-term productivity in greenhouse vegetable production.