The study evaluated the effects of variable-rate fertilization on corn, winter wheat, and spring wheat. Notably, for winter wheat, the net carbon impact resulting from reduced fertilizer use was found to be approximately four times greater than the emissions from tractor operations.

Tokyo, June 11, 2026 - NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) announced the release of the final report from the Net Carbon Impact project conducted by the European Green Digital Coalition (hereinafter "EGDC") (Note 1), which quantitatively assessed the decarbonization effects of implementing NEC’s smart agriculture solution "CropScope" (Note 2).

The final report is available here: https://www.greendigitalcoalition.eu/case-studies-deployment-phase/#agriculture

The EGDC is a coalition of companies established at the request of the European Council, with the support of the European Parliament and the European Commission, with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions across society through the use of digital technologies.

Under this initiative, the net carbon impact of digital technologies is quantitatively assessed as a measure of emissions reduction by comparing scenarios in which digital technologies are "used" and "not used", based on a scientific methodology developed by the EGDC.

About Net Carbon Impact

Net carbon impact refers to the overall net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions achieved through the adoption of digital technologies, calculated by subtracting the additional emissions generated through the manufacturing, operation, and disposal of the equipment required to implement those technologies from the emissions reductions enabled by the technologies themselves.

Because it also takes into account increase in emissions associated with the use of such equipment, net carbon impact enables an objective assessment of the actual emissions reduction effect that the adoption of a given technology has across society as a whole.

Overview of the Case Study

This case study focused on the variable-rate fertilization function incorporated into NEC’s smart agriculture solution, "CropScope." Variable-rate fertilization is a method in which fertilizer is applied at optimized rates for each area of a field according to crop growth conditions and soil conditions, rather than applying the same amount uniformly across the entire field.

The study compared scenarios in which CropScope’s variable-rate fertilization function was implemented and not implemented at farms in Hokkaido, Japan, and comprehensively evaluated:

As a result, CropScope’s variable-rate fertilization function was confirmed to have a tangible effect on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the agricultural sector.

How Variable Rate Fertilization Contributes to Decarbonization

Fertilizers used in agriculture contain nitrogen, which is essential for crop growth. However, when fertilizer is applied in amounts exceeding what crops can absorb, excess nitrogen remains in the soil. This residual nitrogen is transformed through the activity of soil microorganisms, generating nitrous oxide (N₂O), a greenhouse gas, in the process.

Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas with a global warming potential approximately 270 times greater than that of carbon dioxide. Accordingly, appropriately reducing fertilizer use through variable-rate fertilization helps suppress nitrous oxide emissions and can make a significant contribution to decarbonization across society.

Reduction Effects by Crop (Winter Wheat, Spring Wheat, Corn) (Note 3)

In this report, we examined the effects over the entire growing season for three crop types: winter wheat, spring wheat, and corn. The main findings for each crop are as follows.

‐Reduction in Fertilizer Use Achieved Through Variable Rate Fertilization

‐Net carbon impact from reduced fertilizer use

For all crops evaluated, the net carbon impact achieved through reduced fertilizer use significantly exceeded the average emissions generated by tractor operations during the cultivation period.

These results quantitatively demonstrate that implementing CropScope’s variable-rate fertilization function can reduce unnecessary fertilizer use while also contributing to lower environmental impact.

Secondary Effects Beyond Greenhouse Gas Reductions

In addition to greenhouse gas reductions, this assessment also identified the following secondary benefits:

These findings indicate that variable-rate fertilization technology utilizing digital technologies can contribute both to agricultural sustainability and to climate change mitigation.

Looking Ahead

NEC will leverage the insights gained from this initiative to promote decarbonization in the agricultural sector and work toward the creation of agriculture-based carbon credits.

NEC will continue to contribute to the simultaneous advancement of both DX (Digital Transformation) and GX (Green Transformation) across society through the use of digital technologies.

Related Press Release
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000001147.000078149.html (Japanese text) https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000001275.000078149.html (Japanese text)

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