Overview

NPKGRIDS maps synthetic fertilizer application rates of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (as P2O5) and potassium (as K2O) for 173 crops circa 2020 (a 2015 to 2020 average) on a global 0.05 degree grid (about 5.6 km at the equator), in kilograms per hectare of harvested area. Eight fertilizer datasets are fused and spread over the CROPGRIDS crop masks. This is the FAO release, regenerated with FAO’s Python pipeline, holding 167 crops for all three nutrients plus alfalfa for N and P, as one GeoTIFF per nutrient and crop.

#NPKGRIDS #NPK #fertilizer use by crop #synthetic fertilizer #nutrient application rate #FAOSTAT fertilizer application ↗application rates ↗

Important note

Rates are modelled, not observed. No nodata is set: ocean and cells without the crop hold 0. Small countries and territories are excluded by the resolution. Within-country patterns follow Mueller et al. (2012) where no newer subnational data exist. Values match the figshare release (Nguyen et al. 2024) up to minor numerical deviations.

Quick start

Python

import rioxarray

url = "https://storage.googleapis.com/fao-gismgr-faostat-data/DATA/FAOSTAT/MAPSET/CG-N/FAOSTAT.CG-N.2020.ABACA.tif"
da = rioxarray.open_rasterio(url, masked=True)

Full access details and endpoints

Intended uses

global and regional mapping of fertilizer use by crop and nutrient
nutrient budget, emissions, and environmental impact modelling
spatial targeting at national and sub-national scale

Not recommended for

field-scale fertilizer recommendations

Why: the grid is too coarse and the rates are statistical allocations, not agronomic advice.

Use instead: local soil tests and extension guidance.

Commodities

Crops ↗

Access & use

Files, endpoints, and worked examples for each distribution.

Data

cogs

One COG per nutrient and crop for the 167 crops in all three mapsets, about 125 MB per nutrient.

Format: Cloud-Optimized GeoTIFF — best for single-file downloads, visualisation, and traditional GIS tools

Variables: application_rate

Dimensions: cell × nutrient × crop

Data dictionary →

List of files 501 filesDownload CSV

Individual file

NutrientCrop

Download

https://storage.googleapis.com/fao-gismgr-faostat-data/DATA/FAOSTAT/MAPSET/CG-N/FAOSTAT.CG-N.2020.ABACA.tif

Usage examples

Python

import rioxarray

url = "https://storage.googleapis.com/fao-gismgr-faostat-data/DATA/FAOSTAT/MAPSET/CG-N/FAOSTAT.CG-N.2020.ABACA.tif"
da = rioxarray.open_rasterio(url, masked=True)

# Clip a window (East Africa)
window = da.rio.clip_box(
    minx=28, miny=-12, maxx=52, maxy=18
)

# ...or sample a single point
point = da.sel(x=36.8, y=-1.3, method="nearest")

library(terra)

url <- "/vsicurl/https://storage.googleapis.com/fao-gismgr-faostat-data/DATA/FAOSTAT/MAPSET/CG-N/FAOSTAT.CG-N.2020.ABACA.tif"
r <- rast(url)

# Clip a window (East Africa)
window <- crop(r, ext(28, 52, -12, 18))

# ...or sample a single point
point <- extract(r, cbind(36.8, -1.3))

Other access methods

File pattern: CG-{nutrient}/FAOSTAT.CG-{nutrient}.2020.{crop}.tif

HTTPS directory:https://storage.googleapis.com/fao-gismgr-faostat-data/DATA/FAOSTAT/MAPSET/

GCS directory:gs://fao-gismgr-faostat-data/DATA/FAOSTAT/MAPSET/

alfalfa-cogs

The two ALFALFA files, which exist for N and P but not K.

Format: Cloud-Optimized GeoTIFF — best for single-file downloads, visualisation, and traditional GIS tools

Variables: application_rate

Dimensions: cell × nutrient × crop

Data dictionary →

List of files 2 filesDownload CSV

Individual file

Nutrient

Download

https://storage.googleapis.com/fao-gismgr-faostat-data/DATA/FAOSTAT/MAPSET/CG-N/FAOSTAT.CG-N.2020.ALFALFA.tif

Usage examples

Python

import rioxarray

url = "https://storage.googleapis.com/fao-gismgr-faostat-data/DATA/FAOSTAT/MAPSET/CG-N/FAOSTAT.CG-N.2020.ALFALFA.tif"
da = rioxarray.open_rasterio(url, masked=True)

# Clip a window (East Africa)
window = da.rio.clip_box(
    minx=28, miny=-12, maxx=52, maxy=18
)

# ...or sample a single point
point = da.sel(x=36.8, y=-1.3, method="nearest")

library(terra)

url <- "/vsicurl/https://storage.googleapis.com/fao-gismgr-faostat-data/DATA/FAOSTAT/MAPSET/CG-N/FAOSTAT.CG-N.2020.ALFALFA.tif"
r <- rast(url)

# Clip a window (East Africa)
window <- crop(r, ext(28, 52, -12, 18))

# ...or sample a single point
point <- extract(r, cbind(36.8, -1.3))

Other access methods

File pattern: CG-{nutrient}/FAOSTAT.CG-{nutrient}.2020.{crop}.tif

HTTPS directory:https://storage.googleapis.com/fao-gismgr-faostat-data/DATA/FAOSTAT/MAPSET/

GCS directory:gs://fao-gismgr-faostat-data/DATA/FAOSTAT/MAPSET/

Data dictionary

What each file holds. A layout describes how the data is stored in a file: its variables, the dimensions they vary over, and any keys.

File layouts

Files	Format	Variables	Dimensions
cogs	Cloud-Optimized GeoTIFF	application_rate	cell × nutrient × crop
alfalfa-cogs	Cloud-Optimized GeoTIFF	application_rate	cell × nutrient × crop

In every file

Variables

Variable	Type	Unit	Description
application_rate	float32	kg ha-1	Synthetic fertilizer application rate of the nutrient on the crop, per hectare of harvested area. Relative quantity; do not sum across cells. Use a weighted mean with CROPGRIDS harvested area as the weight, or multiply by harvested area to get applied mass.

Dimensions

cellxy

0.05 degree cells (~5.6 km at the equator).

Grid spacing: 0.05 degree

Only in cogs

Dimensions

nutrient

Fertilizer nutrient, the {nutrient} token of the file paths (mapsets CG-N, CG-P, CG-K).

Type: string

N Nitrogen (N)
P Phosphorus as phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5)
K Potassium as potassium oxide (K2O)

crop

FAO crop code, the {crop} token of the file names, labelled with FAOSTAT item names.

Type: string

Coded against: https://data.apps.fao.org/gismgr/api/v2/catalog/workspaces/FAOSTAT/dimensions/CROP

ABACA Abaca
AGAVE Agave fibres, other
ALMOND Almonds, with shell
ANISEETC Anise, badian, fennel, coriander
APPLE Apples
APRICOT Apricots
ARECA Areca nuts
ARTICHOKE Artichokes
ASPARAGUS Asparagus
AVOCADO Avocados
BAMBARA Bambara beans
BANANA Bananas
BARLEY Barley
BEAN Beans, dry
BEETFOR Beets for fodder
BERRYNES Berries, other
BLUEBERRY Blueberries
BRAZIL Brazil nuts, with shell
BROADBEAN Broad beans, horse beans, dry
BUCKWHEAT Buckwheat
CABBAGE Cabbages and other brassicas
CABBAGEFOR Cabbages for fodder
CANARYSEED Canary seed
CAROB Carobs
CARROT Carrots and turnips
CARROTFOR Carrots for fodder
CASHEWAPPLE Cashewapple
CASSAVA Cassava
CASTOR Castor oil seed
CAULIFLOWER Cauliflowers and broccoli
CEREALNES Cereals, other
CHERRY Cherries
CHESTNUT Chest nuts
CHICKPEA Chick peas
CHICORY Chicory roots
CHILLEETC Chillies and peppers, green
CINNAMON Cinnamon (cannella)
CITRUSNES Citrus fruit, other
CLOVE Cloves
CLOVER Clover
COCOA Cocoa, beans
COCONUT Coconuts
COFFEE Coffee, green
COTTON Cotton seed
COWPEA Cow peas, dry
CRANBERRY Cranberries
CUCUMBERETC Cucumbers and gherkins
CURRANT Currants
DATE Dates
EGGPLANT Eggplants (aubergines)
FIG Figs
FLAX Flax fibre and tow
FONIO Fonio
FORNES Fornes
FRUITNES Fruit fresh, other
GARLIC Garlic
GINGER Ginger
GOOSEBERRY Gooseberries
GRAPE Grapes
GRASSNES Grasses, others
GREENBEAN Green beans
GREENCORN Green corn (maize, green)
GREENONION Green onion, shallots
GREENPEA Green peas
GROUNDNUT Groundnuts, with shell
HAZELNUT Hazelnuts, with shell
HEMP Hemp tow waste
HEMPSEED Hempseed
HOP Hops
JUTE Jute
JUTELIKEFIBER Jute-like fibers
KAPOKFIBER Kapok
KAPOKSEED Kapok fruit
KARITE Karite nuts (sheanuts)
KIWI Kiwi fruit
KOLANUT Kola nuts
LEGUMENES Legumes, other
LEMONLIME Lemons and limes
LENTIL Lentils
LETTUCE Lettuce and chicory
LINSEED Linseed
LUPIN Lupins
MAIZE Maize
MAIZEFOR Maize for forage and silage
MANGO Mangoes, mangosteens, guavas
MATE Mate
MELONETC Melons, other (inc. cantaloupes)
MELONSEED Melonseed
MILLET Millet
MIXEDGRAIN Mixed grain
MIXEDGRASS Mixed grasses and legumes
MUSHROOM Mushrooms and truffles
MUSTARD Mustard seed
NUTMEG Nutmeg, mace and cardamoms
NUTNES Nuts, other
OATS Oats
OILPALM Oil palm fruit
OILSEEDFOR Oilseed for fodder, green
OILSEEDNES Oilseed, other
OKRA Okra
OLIVE Olives
ONION Onions, dry
ORANGE Oranges
PAPAYA Papayas
PEA Peas, dry
PEACHETC Peaches and nectarines
PEAR Pears
PEPPER Pepper (piper spp.)
PEPPERMINT Peppermint
PERSIMMON Persimmons
PIGEONPEA Pigeon peas
PIMENTO Pimento
PINEAPPLE Pineapples
PISTACHIO Pistachios
PLANTAIN Plantains and others
PLUM Plums and sloes
POPCORN Popcorn
POPPY Poppy seed
POTATO Potatoes
PULSENES Pulses, other
PUMPKINETC Pumpkins, squash and gourds
PYRETHRUM Pyrethrum, dried flowers
QUINCE Quinces
QUINOA Quinoa
RAMIE Ramie
RAPESEED Rapeseed
RASBERRY Rasberries
RICE Rice, paddy
ROOTNES Roots and tubers, other
RUBBER Rubber, natural
RYE Rye
RYEFOR Rye grass for forage and silage
SAFFLOWER Safflower seed
SESAME Sesame seed
SISAL Sisal
SORGHUM Sorghum
SORGHUMFOR Sorghum for forage and silage
SOURCHERRY Sour cherries
SOYBEAN Soybeans
SPICENES Spices, other
SPINACH Spinach
STRAWBERRY Strawberries
STRINGBEAN String beans
SUGARBEET Sugar beet
SUGARCANE Sugar cane
SUGARNES Sugar crops, other
SUNFLOWER Sunflower seed
SWEDEFOR Swedes for fodder
SWEETPOTATO Sweet potatoes
TANGETC Tangerines, mandarins, clementines, satsumas
TARO Taro (cocoyam)
TEA Tea
TOBACCO Tobacco leaves
TOMATO Tomatoes
TRITICALE Triticale
TROPICALNES Fruit tropical fresh, other
TUNG Tung nuts
TURNIPFOR Turnips for fodder
VANILLA Vanilla
VEGETABLENES Vegetablenes
VEGFOR Vegetables and roots for fodder
VETCH Vetches
WALNUT Walnuts, with shell
WATERMELON Watermelons
WHEAT Wheat
YAM Yams
YAUTIA Yautia (cocoyam)

Show all 167 valuesShow fewer

Only in alfalfa-cogs

Dimensions

nutrient

Fertilizer nutrient, the {nutrient} token of the file paths (mapsets CG-N, CG-P).

Type: string

N Nitrogen (N)
P Phosphorus as phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5)

crop

FAO crop code, the {crop} token of the file names.

Type: string

Coded against: https://data.apps.fao.org/gismgr/api/v2/catalog/workspaces/FAOSTAT/dimensions/CROP

ALFALFA Alfalfa

Technical metadata

The full spatial, temporal, and modeling detail behind the summaries elsewhere on this page.

Spatial

CRS: EPSG:4326
Extent (W S E N): [-180, -90, 180, 90]
Coverage: World
Grid spacing: 3 arc-minutes (~5.6 km at the equator)

Temporal

Reference date: 2020

Provenance

Ordered processing steps, from source to publication.

source2025-11-20
FAO Python re-implementation of the NPKGRIDS pipeline (Bottini et al. 2026): inputs harmonized to rates per harvested hectare, ranked by quality per nutrient, crop and subnational unit, gap-filled from neighbours and similar crops, and spread uniformly over the CROPGRIDS crop masks. Code not public as of this record.
Derived from: CROPGRIDS crop masks used to spatialize the rates (2.0), Mueller et al. (2012) gridded N, P, K application rates, used for within-country allocation ↗

How to cite

Please cite the dataset and any associated peer-reviewed publications.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) NPKGRIDS crop-specific fertilizer application rates circa 2020. Version 2.0. FAO Agro-Informatic Data Catalog. https://data.apps.fao.org/catalog/dataset/49a38274-d47d-40c2-8a45-7a2924a3f958. Accessed through the CGIAR Climate Action Data Hub, https://cgiar-climate-data-hub.github.io/catalog/npkgrids_2.0/.

BibTeX

@misc{npkgrids_2025,
  title     = {NPKGRIDS crop-specific fertilizer application rates circa 2020},
  author    = {{Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations}},
  year      = {2025},
  version   = {2.0},
  publisher = {FAO Agro-Informatic Data Catalog},
  url       = {https://data.apps.fao.org/catalog/dataset/49a38274-d47d-40c2-8a45-7a2924a3f958},
  note      = {Accessed through the CGIAR Climate Action Data Hub, https://cgiar-climate-data-hub.github.io/catalog/npkgrids_2.0/}
}

Contacts

Who produced this dataset, and who to reach about it.

Brayden YoungbergMaintainer

Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT

b.youngberg@cgiar.org

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United NationsLicensor

Producer

www.fao.org/home/en/ ↗

Francesco N. Tubiello

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Point of contact

Francesco.Tubiello@fao.org

NPKGRIDS crop-specific fertilizer application rates circa 2020

Important note

Quick start

Intended uses

Not recommended for

Commodities

Data

File layouts

In every file

Variables

Dimensions

Only in cogs

Dimensions

Only in alfalfa-cogs

Dimensions

Spatial

Temporal

How to cite

Related publications

Contacts