Walter E. Baethgen

Walter Enrique Baethgen (born February 16, 1955) is a Uruguayan scientist. His research focuses on the impact of climate variability and change on the agricultural industry.

Education and career Baethgen graduated from the University of the Republic in 1979, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Engineering. Soon after graduation, he worked on Soil and Crop Management at INIA, La Estanzuela in Colonia, Uruguay.

From 1987 to 2004, Baethgen took the role of Senior Scientist in the Research and Development Division of the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC). and where he has previously held the positions of Director of the Regional and Sectoral Research Program, and Director of the Latin American Regional Program.

Innovations and industry impact

Baethgen Fertilization Model The Baethgen fertilization model is a decision-support tool designed to optimize nitrogen fertilizer application in crops. The model uses crop growth simulation and environmental data to predict the most effective and sustainable timing and amount of nitrogen to apply, aiming to balance economic returns for farmers with environmental stewardship.

The model incorporates real-time climate and soil data, including rainfall, temperature, and soil moisture, to simulate crop growth and nutrient requirements leading to a dynamic simulation to calculate the cost-benefit ratio of different fertilization strategies, aiding farmers to maximize yield without overusing fertilizers. Moreover, by reducing excess nitrogen application, the model minimizes nutrient runoff, which can lead to water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

He was also reviewer for several international research programs (NOAA, NASA, NSF, IAI and the German, Norwegian, and Austrian governments).

Selected publications Baethgen, W.E. and M.M. Alley. 1989. Optimizing Soil and Fertilizer Nitrogen Use for Intensively Managed Winter Wheat. II. Critical Levels and Optimum N Fertilizer Rates. Agronomy Journal, 81(120–125). Baethgen, W. E., & Alley, M. M. 1989. A manual colorimetric procedure for measuring ammonium nitrogen in soil and plant Kjeldahl digests. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 20(9–10), 961–969. Baethgen, W.E., C.B. Christianson, and A. García Lamothe. 1995. Nitrogen fertilizer effects on growth, grain yield, and yield components of malting barley. Field Crops Research, 43:87–99. Baethgen, W.E. 1997. Vulnerability of the agricultural sector of Latin America to climate change. Climate Research. 9:1–7. Baethgen, W.E. 2010. Climate Risk Management for Adaptation to Climate Variability and Change. Crop Science, 50(2):70–76. Baethgen, W.E. and L. Goddard. 2013. Latin American Perspectives on Adaptation of Agricultural Systems to Climate Variability and Change. IN: D. Hillel and C. Rosenzweig (Eds.): Handbook of Climate Change and Agroecosystems: Global and Regional Aspects and Implications. pp 57–72. ICP Series on Climate Change Impacts, Adaptation, and Mitigation Vol. 2. Imperial College Press. Baethgen, W. E.; W. J. Parton; V. Rubio; R. H. Kelly; S. Lutz. 2021. Ecosystem dynamics of crop‐pasture rotations in a fifty‐year field experiment in Southern South America: Century model and field results. SSSAJ 85(2):423–437.