Exploring the Potential of Using Fertilizers to Condition the Metabolism and Physiology of Dual-Yield Crops in a Water Deficit Environment: A Review

Research on the production of field crops in semi-arid regions mainly focuses on irrigation and climate change adaptation because these are emphasized as the practices determining yields of field crops in these regions. The need to evolve research in this direction is important because general crop production systems in all regions can adopt the findings from this kind of research during unforeseen drought conditions. Research on fertilizers is usually treated as a secondary factor or neglected despite it being an important practice for crops growing in semi-arid regions. Fertilization affects parameters that are responsible for metabolism, physiology, morphology, and subsequent crop yields under drought conditions. This literature review focused on dual-yield crops’ response to fertilization and the potential for researchers to employ these responses for the improvement of cultivations and yields in semi-arid regions. These findings indicated that the application of various nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), or potassium (K) fertilizers is common and based on broadcasting and banding techniques. The split application of N, P, and K fertilizers is mostly employed to adjust the metabolism, physiology, and morphology of crops at different growth stages so that the crops can be exposed to water shortages. These adjustments can be used to increase or decrease the water use efficiency of the crops, which is highly associated with biological and economic yields. Research on micro-elements in dual-yield crops is currently very limited. Multidimensional future research based on the effects of micro-elements on the metabolism, physiology, and morphology of dual-yield crops is recommended. This research must be conducted with the aim of enhancing water use efficiency.