4R Nutrient Stewardship
Fertilizer Best Management Practices (BMPs)
Soil, water and air are essential for growing food and so are nutrients provided by fertilizers. Major fertilizer nutrients, which include nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, are elements that occur naturally in the environment and they must be replaced after each harvest to ensure that each year’s crop grows a nutritious supply of food.
For over half a century, the world has relied on increasing crop yields to supply an ever increasing demand for food. In order to increase world food production in a sustainable manner, farmers are adopting best management practices (BMPs) that incorporate the use of the right fertilizer at the right rate, right time and right place.
What are BMPs?
The concept of implementing BMPs began almost 20 years ago with research and testing by the Potash and Phosphate Institute (PPI) which has recently been integrated with the Potash and Phosphate Institute of Canada to form the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI), with the objective being to develop techniques and methods that provide adequate nutrition for crops, while minimizing nutrient losses and their impact on the environment. More recently, promoting the use of the right fertilizer product at the right rate, right time and right place, which is commonly referred to by the fertilizer industry as the 4 Rs paradigm, has become the cornerstone for communicating about BMPs with farmer customers in the United States and abroad.
The 4Rs: The Cornerstone of Best Management Practices
 |
 |
 |
 |
Right Source
|
Right Time |
Right Place
|
Right Rate
|
Match fertilizer type to crop needs |
Match nutrients available when crops need them |
Keep nutrients where crops can use them
|
Match amount of fertilizer to crop needs
|
- Select appropriate fertilizer and on-farm nutrient sources for the cropping system
- Soil testing
- N, P, K secondary and micronutrient
- Enhanced efficiency fertilizers
- Nutrient management planning
|
- Application timing
- Controlled release technologies
- Inhibitors
- Fertilizer product choice
|
- Application method
- Incorporation of fertilizer
- Buffer strips
- Conservation tillage
- Cover Cropping
|
- Soil testing
- Yield goal analysis
- Crop removal balance
- Nutrient management planning
- Plant tissue analysis
- Record keeping
- Variable rate technology
- Site-specific management
|
New Videos from IPNI Feature 4R Nutrient Stewardship
4R Nutrient Stewardship is focused on four central components: applying the right fertilizer source at the right rate, at the right time, and in the right place. Each component is directly related to the other three in at least one way, interconnected into a unified, effective system.
Two new video programs produced by the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI) and introduced in 2010 are carrying the message of 4R Nutrient Stewardship to audiences around the world.
The Right Way to Grow…4R Nutrient Stewardship runs more than 11 minutes and gives an overview of the 4Rs. Through graphics and field scenes, the presentation provides more insight for further understanding of the 4Rs, and it explains how the concept can apply to large-scale agriculture or to small-holder farms.
The Right Way to Grow Wheat…4R Nutrient Stewardship is a separate video which runs more than 8 minutes and specifically addresses the economic, environmental, and social goals of sustainable agricultural systems needed to meet global demand for wheat. As a staple in almost all human diets, additional wheat production will be needed in the future to help feed rapidly growing populations.
You may view both videos by visiting IPNI's Web site at www.ipni.net or by clicking here.
4R Special Feature
The Fertilizer Institute (TFI), in partnership with the Canadian Fertilizer Institute (CFI), is sponsoring a five-part, peer reviewed article series on the 4R nutrient stewardship system that is being coordinated and coauthored by the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI). The articles, which are being published in the American Society of Agronomy’s (ASA) Crops & Soils magazine, are intended to provide an in-depth look at the economic, environmental and social benefits that come as a result of producers implementing the 4R nutrient stewardship system, which refers to the use of the right fertilizer source at the right rate, right time and right place. The full series of articles may be accessed by clicking on the images included below.
    
How are BMPs Applied?
Every farm and field is different. Farmers need to be able to select the BMPs that are best suited to regional and farm-specific conditions. Factors that may influence BMP selection include soil conditions, climate, topography and crops grown. With the help of industry experts such as Certified Crop Advisers (CCAs), farmers can assess soil and environmental conditions on their individual farms and develop a customized nutrient management plan that incorporates the most appropriate BMPs. This flexibility is critical for farmers to maximize the economic and environmental benefits of adopting BMPs. Working in partnership with the farmers who manage the land is crucial to establish effective nutrient management practices.
The Benefits of BMPs
Average prices paid by U.S. farmers for the major fertilizer nutrients reached the highest level on record in August 2008, 113 percent higher than in August 2007 according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The recent increase in fertilizer prices, along with other escalating input and production costs, has begun to raise awareness of nutrient use efficiency and the implementation of BMPs as a way to help farmers save money while continuing to produce optimal yields and minimize the impact of nutrient losses on the environment.
Industry Working Together
Achieving nutrient use efficiency relies upon industry wide collaboration. Additional science and research is needed to determine measurable results and standards that are necessary to ensure the implementation of effective BMPs. Communication of effective BMP techniques to farmers across the United States is essential and it is made possible by valuable connections that farmers have to regional and state agribusiness associations, local fertilizer retailers and agronomy experts including members of the Certifed Crop Advisors.
On a larger scale, TFI is currently engaged with several national agricultural trade assocations including the National Corn Growers Association, IPNI and the American Farm Bureau Federation. These partnerships provide an opportunity for useful information sharing and also ensure that concerns and interests from all segments of the agricultural and fertilizer industries are accurately represented and given adequate consideration.
Additional Nutrient Use Resources
Print Publications
TFI is pleased to offer you access to the following in-depth nutrient use efficiency materials through its partnership with IPNI:
TFI has also developed a Fertilizer Product Stewardship brochure with additional information on nutrient use efficiency and fertilizer BMPs, which you may access by clicking on the following link.
Responsible Business Video
Additionally, TFI is pleased to offer you access to a video regarding nutrient use efficiency through its partnership with TFI member company Agrium.
TFI Nutrient Use Management Presentation
TFI has developed a presentation regarding nutrient use efficiency, which you may access by clicking on the following link. For more information on this presentation, or to utilize the information included in it, please contact TFI Vice President of Scientific Programs Bill Herz by telephone at (202) 515-2706 or via e-mail at wcherz@tfi.org.
Copyright © 2010 |