Resource-Constrained and Time-Aware Reinforcement Learning Framework for Sustainable Fertilization Strategies

Abstract

Achieving sustainable fertilization is critical for balancing crop productivity with environmental stewardship and resource efficiency. However, conventional fertilization methods rely on fixed schedules and generalized routines, resulting in inefficient nitrogen use and environmental risks owing to over- or under-application. Sustainable fertilization requires adaptive strategies that optimize resource use while preserving long-term soil health and productivity. Reinforcement learning (RL) offers a promising alternative by continuously adapting fertilization strategies based on real-time data, such as soil conditions, crop growth stages, and weather patterns. This study introduced the time-aware, idle-biased, Lagrangian-based, and resource-constrained approach with proximal policy optimization (TILARC-PPO), a novel RL framework designed to adaptively optimize fertilization. TILARC-PPO integrates (1) idle-biased action selection to prevent unnecessary fertilization, (2) time-awareness to optimize decision timing, and (3) Lagrangian-based resource constraints to dynamically regulate nitrogen applications. Experimental results show that TILARC-PPO maintains a comparable grain yield with only a slight reduction of 7.93%, while reducing nitrogen consumption by 32% when compared to expert fertilization. Additionally, it achieved the highest nitrogen use efficiency (30.8 kg grain per kg N), surpassing both the expert-based and vanilla proximal policy optimization (PPO) approaches. TILARC-PPO further improved training stability and policy convergence by learning effective fertilization strategies within 300,000 timesteps. These findings highlight TILARC-PPO as a scalable, intelligent solution for sustainable precision agriculture, aligned with global efforts to enhance resource efficiency, maintain soil health, and promote sustainable food production.