Development History And Applications Of Uracil in Agriculture

Research Progress on the Application of Uracil in Fertilizers

Uracil application in fertilizers has evolved from basic physiological mechanisms to an industrialized stage featuring high efficiency, environmental friendliness, and precision. Core progress focuses on four areas:
analysis of synergistic mechanisms, development of derivatives, upgrading of formulation technologies, and verification of environmental safety.
Significant breakthroughs were achieved from 2022 to 2026, supporting uracil (CAS No.:66-22-8)as an important component of green fertilizer synergists.

1. Core Research Stages and Milestones (1980s–2026)

• Physiological Mechanism Stage (1980s–2000s)

Clarified that uracil promotes nucleic acid synthesis, cell division, and grain filling.
Spraying uracil at the rice flowering stage increased yield by 11%, and up to 46% when combined with proline (Plant & Soil, 1987).

• Derivative Development Stage (2000s–2010s)

Uridine monophosphate / diphosphate / triphosphate (UMP / UDP / UTP) became mainstream research targets.
UMP foliar fertilizer improved nitrogen use efficiency in wheat by 22%–28% (Journal of Plant Nutrition, 2012).

• Application Technology Stage (2010s–2020s)

Combined with trace elements and humic acid to develop foliar fertilizers and controlled-release fertilizers.
Uracil-coated urea reduced ammonia volatilization by 25% (Field Crops Research, 2024).

• Environmental Upgrading Stage (2022–2026)

Breakthroughs in degradability and stress resistance mechanisms.
Uridine 5'-phosphate derivatives showed 95% soil degradation in 7 days (Science of The Total Environment, 2026).

2. Key Breakthroughs (2022–2026)

• Deepened Synergistic Mechanisms

Uracil enhances DNA damage repair under stress by activating uracil-DNA glycosylase (UNG), induces proline synthesis, and stabilizes cell membranes.
Combined with Zn/B, it improves NPK absorption and utilization by 15%–30%.

• Upgraded Derivative Applications

Phosphate derivatives (UMP/UDP) are used at 0.01%–0.05%, mainly for foliar application, with low soil residue risk.
Controlled-release technology: uracil-coated urea increases nitrogen use efficiency by 30%.
Fertilizer-pesticide integration: uracil phosphate extends the half-life of RNA pesticides.

• Environmental and Safety Verification

Uridine 5'-phosphate meets EU EC 1107/2009 standards, with ≥90% degradation in 7 days.
Low concentrations (≤0.05%) are safe; high concentrations (>0.1%) may inhibit plant growth.

• Gene Editing Linkage

Cod UNG-based base editing achieves up to 93.88% efficiency in rice, supporting stress-resistant crop breeding and expanding demand for stress-resistant fertilizers.
 

3. Application Scenarios and Effects

• Foliar fertilizer synergism: 0.02% UMP + 0.1% ZnSO₄

Improves N use efficiency by 28%, increases yield by 15% (wheat, corn).

• Saline-alkali soil special fertilizer: 0.05% UDP + 0.02% borax

Increases proline by 35%, yield by 20% (wheat, tomato).

• Controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer: 5% uracil + 95% urea

Reduces ammonia volatilization by 25%, improves N use efficiency by 30% (rice, cotton).

• Flowering stage grain filling: uracil + proline

Increases yield by 11%–46% (rice, soybean).

 

4. Current Challenges and Future Directions

• Challenges

Cost control: synthetic and enzymatic processes need optimization.
Lack of unified standards for registration and detection.
Refinement of optimal concentrations and application timings for different crops and soils.

• Future Directions

Precision agriculture: matching fertilizers with stress-resistant varieties.
Green production: continuous-flow and enzymatic synthesis to reduce waste.
Compound products: combining uracil with biostimulants (e.g., humic acid).

 

5. R&D Recommendations
Prioritize UMP/UDP phosphate derivatives combined with trace elements.
Provide 7-day degradation data (≥90%) for registration.
Market growth: global CAGR 12%–15%, with Chinese manufacturers accounting for over 60%.