Resources

Stacking and Intersecting Nutrient And Irrigation 4Rs

Crops: Alfalfa Apples Barley Beans (dry) Canola Hops Potato Tart cherry Winter wheat Wheat
4R Practices: Source Rate Time Place

Stacking and Intersecting Nutrient And Irrigation 4Rs

Lead Researcher:

Dr. Matt Yost

Assistant Professor

Utah State University

Start Date: 2019

End Date: 2024

Collaborating scientists and universities

  • Dr. Neil Hanson, Brigham Young University
  • Dr. Grant Cardon, Utah State University
  • Dr. Bryan Hopkins, Brigham Young University
  • Dr. Olga Walsh, University of Idaho
  • Dr. Jared Williams, Brigham Young University-Idaho
  • Dr. Howard Neibling, Bringham Young University-Idaho
  • Dr. Brent Black, Utah State University

Matching Funds

  • Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research
  • USDA-SARE

Project Summary

This project will explore how individual and stacked nutrient and irrigation 4R’s intersect to improve the sustainability of major forage, fruit, grain, and vegetable crops in the West. It will address both priority cropping systems and priority issues outlined in the request for proposals. Four major efforts will include producer surveys to quantify 4R adoption and barriers, five coordinated field experiments that will utilize a new innovative way to evaluate stacking nutrient 4R’s across crops, utilization of three existing stacked irrigation 4R experiments to quantify how 90 water conservation treatments influence nutrient uptake and efficiencies, and a dynamic multi-state coordinated outreach program to improve adoption of nutrient and irrigation 4R’s. Intersecting nutrient and irrigation 4R’s will guide investments by growers and industry towards combinations that result in the most profitable and sustainable outcomes

Project Goals:

  • Determine western forage, fruit, grain, and vegetable producer’s attitudes, acceptance rates, and barriers to adoption of nutrient and irrigation 4R’s in order to better adapt and target Extension and outreach efforts.
  • Identify how individual and stacked nitrogen fertilizer 4R’s impact crop performance, water productivity, and environmental impacts.
  • Expand FFAR trials to determine how individual and stacked irrigation 4R’s impact nutrient uptake and use efficiency.
  • Deliver dynamic educational products and training on nutrient and irrigation 4R’s through Extension and coordinated outreach.

Project Results:

  • No preliminary results

Annual Reports

Keep Fertilizer on the Farm: Using the 4R Framework to Support Sustainable Nutrient Management in the Northern Great Plains

Crops: Corn for grain Corn for silage
4R Practices: Source Rate Time Place

Lead Researcher:

Dr. Lindsay Pease

Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in Nutrient and Water Management

University of Minnesota

Start Date: 2020

End Date: 2024

Collaborating scientists and universities

  • Dr. Amitava Chatterjee, North Dakota State University
  • Dr. Jeppe Kjaersgaard, Minnesota Department of Agriculture
  • Dr. David Lobb, University of Manitoba
  • Dr. Stephen Crittenden, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
  • Leif Fixen, The Nature Conservancy
  • Warren Formo, Minnesota Agricultural Water Resources Center
  • Dr. Merrin Macrae, University of Waterloo
  • Dr. Heidi Peterson, Sand County Foundation
  • Dr. Mitchell Timmerman, Manitoba Agriculture
  • Dr. Henry Wilson, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Matching Funds

  • Minnesota Rapid Agricultural Response Fund
  • Environment Climate Change Canada
  • Minnesota Wheat Research & Promotion Council
  • Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council
  • Minnesota Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council
  • Red River Watershed Management Board
  • University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences
  • Minnesota Agricultural Water Resources Center
  • Minnesota Department of Agriculture Clean Water Fund

Project Summary

Increased grain production in the Northern Great Plains is shifting the traditional range of the North American Corn Belt. At the same time, eutrophication of freshwater lakes is emerging as a critical threat to aquatic ecosystems worldwide. The Red River Basin of the North is currently adapting to new demands in response to both of these changes. Defining and adopting 4R Nutrient Stewardship and edge-of-field (EOF) practices for this cold weather climate across the Red River Basin is critical to reducing the extent and severity of nutrient runoff losses from agricultural land to Lake Winnipeg. Motivating producers to change crop production and nutrient management practices based on environmental impact is difficult in this region since an international border divides source from impact. Increased pressure on Red River Basin farmers has resulted in an urgent need for effective strategies to reduce nutrient runoff. Previous research has shown that the 4R framework can help to meet load reduction goals in Ohio’s similarly flat Western Lake Erie Basin watershed. We propose to evaluate and amend the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Concept for the shifting cropping systems and cold climate of the Red River Basin. A public-private partnership approach involving partners from the US and Canada is proposed to support the long-term success of 4R Nutrient Stewardship and Certification in the Red River Basin.

Project Goals:

  • Evaluate the dual water quality and agronomic benefits of 4R Nutrient Stewardship across the Red River Basin.
  • Improve performance of the Minnesota Phosphorus Loss Risk Index for the Great Plains Region.
  • Develop outreach programming and resources to demonstrate research findings and to engage with stakeholders to support the 4R Certification Program.

Project Results:

  • No preliminary results

Annual Reports

4R Research Fund Repository

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Evaluating the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Concept and Certification Program in the Western Lake Erie Basin

Crops: Corn for grain Corn for silage Soybeans
4R Practices: Source Rate Time Place

Evaluating the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Concept and Certification Program in the Western Lake Erie Basin

Lead Researcher:

Dr. Kevin King

Research Soil Scientist

USDA-ARS Soil Drainage Research Unit

Start Date: 2014

End Date: 2019

Collaborating scientists and universities

  • Dr. Thomas Bruulsema, Plant Nutrition Canada
  • Dr. Remegio Confesor Jr., Heidelberg University
  • Dr. Joseph DePinto, LimnoTech
  • Dr. Laura Johnson, Heidelberg University
  • Gregory LaBarge, Ohio State University
  • Dr. Brian Roe, Ohio State University
  • Dr. Douglas Smith, USDA-ARS Soil Erosion Research Laboratory
  • Carrie Vollmer-Sanders, The Nature Conservancy
  • Dr. Mark Williams, USDA-ARS Soil Drainage Research Unit
  • Dr. Robyn Wilson, Ohio State University

Matching Funds

  • USDA-NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant
  • Ohio Farm Bureau Federation
  • Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association
  • Ohio Soybean Association
  • USDA-NRCS Mississippi River Basin Initiative
  • The Nature Conservancy
  • USDA-NRCS Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative
  • Ohio State University
  • Heidelberg University
  • USDA Conservation Effects Assessment Project

Project Summary

Lake Erie is part of the Great Lakes System, which contains 20% of the surface freshwater in  the world. Annually, tourism associated with Lake Erie generates more than $7.4 billion in direct  sales, while Lake Erie seaports generate approximately $1 billion in revenue (USDA-NRCS,  2005). Sport fishing within Lake Erie has also been estimated to generate hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Unfortunately, over the past five years there has been an increased incidence of  algal blooms and proliferation of aquatic weeds. Not only are algal blooms aesthetically unappealing, but they also can cause the formation of hypoxic zones in stratified waters. In some instances, algal blooms contain toxins that are harmful to humans and aquatic life. The increase in nuisance and harmful algal blooms (HABs) in Lake Erie has led to greater water treatment costs, reductions in fish populations, and poor water quality that has negatively impacted fishing and tourism industries within the Great Lakes region. 

The primary cause of water quality impairment and algal blooms within Lake Erie is the input of excess nutrients, such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), often transported from agricultural lands. Many growers have accepted responsibility and are taking action to improve soil health and reduce nutrient losses from their fields. However, there are still additional opportunities through scientific and technological advancements to help growers keep nutrients in their fields to benefit both crop growth and watershed health. 4R Nutrient Stewardship is an innovative approach to nutrient management that considers the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of nutrient management. Although the concept is relatively simple (apply the right source of nutrient, at the right rate, at the right time and in the right place), following the 4R principles has the potential to significantly reduce the amount of nutrients transported to Lake Erie as well as increase crop nutrient use efficiency. 

One way to encourage adoption of the 4R principles is to first define key actions that characterize nutrient and water stewardship and to recognize good stewardship through a credible certification program. The 4R Certification Program Advisory Committee, led by members of the agricultural industry, grower representatives, and supported by The Ohio State University, state government, and facilitated by The Nature Conservancy, have been meeting since the spring of 2012 to create a program that identifies best management practices (BMPs) and encourages nutrient service providers (e.g., agricultural retailers, crop advisers) to adopt the 4R Nutrient Stewardship concept. The 4R Certification Program will help these nutrient service providers tailor 4R principles to each grower’s unique needs, while minimizing nutrient losses and maximizing crop uptake. This program represents an effort by the agricultural industry to actively embrace a scientific-based approach to nutrient management and sustainable crop production. Such an effort diminishes the need for and the likelihood of public regulations that might otherwise be implemented to decrease nutrient loading to surface waters. 

Project Goals:

  • To monitor the impacts of 4R Nutrient Stewardship practices and the 4R Certification Program on crop productivity, nutrient losses, and biotic integrity from select fields, streams, and watersheds in the WLEB. 
  • To model the environmental benefits in Lake Erie (turbidity and HABs) following various levels of implementation of 4R Nutrient Stewardship practices and the 4R Certification Program in three WLEB agricultural watersheds. 
  • To determine the behavioral impact of 4R educational efforts and the 4R Certification Program on the knowledge, beliefs, and management practices of crop growers and nutrient service providers in the WLEB.
  • To conduct a triple bottom line evaluation of the economic, social, and environmental performance of the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Program in the WLEB. 
  • To integrate information from all the above to develop indicators for continued public reporting of progress and guide the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification Program. 

Project Results:

  • Sub-surface placement and incorporating phosphorus fertilizer with tillage, as compared to surface application with no incorporation, reduced dissolved phosphorus concentration in tile discharge by 66% and 75%, respectively. Incorporation of phosphorus fertilizer through sub-surface injection or tillage also reduced particulate phosphorus losses compared to surface application with no incorporation.
  • Injecting phosphorus fertilizer or incorporating in the soil with tillage mitigates phosphorus losses during large precipitation events, reducing seasonal and annual losses.
  • Soil legacy phosphorus has a persistent impact on hydrologic phosphorus losses. Annual phosphorus applications only represented ~3% of the annual phosphorus inputs, indicating legacy phosphorus had a large effect.
  • No-till systems increased drainage dissolved phosphorus loads 72 to 75% compared to conventional tillage. The interaction of management practices and individual site characteristics explained variability in nitrogen and phosphorus losses.
  • Soil-test phosphorus is a good preliminary screening indicator for hydrologic losses, but upland management, edge-of-field practices, and in-stream approaches are required to reduce dissolved-reactive phosphorus losses.

Annual Reports

2015

2016

2017

2018

Publications

Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer in Corn Systems in the Midwest

Crops: Corn for grain Corn for silage
4R Practices: Metadata Project

Meta-analysis of Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers in Corn Systems in the Midwest

Lead Researcher:

Dr. Rachel Cook

Assistant Professor

North Carolina State University

Start Date: 2014

End Date: 2015

Matching Funds

  • Dow AgroSciences

Project Summary

The 4R approach to nutrient stewardship has helped develop a better context for driving best management practices in production agriculture. As the agricultural community becomes more involved in exploring the three aspects of sustainability, including the economic, social, and environmental triple bottom line, the 4Rs (right source, right rate, right time, and right place) provide a framework for better management of fertilizer applications.

The exceedingly large number of possible combinations of source, rate, time, and place, even within one cropping system, can make it difficult to compare results from studies located in different regions, with different climate, soils, and accepted management practices. To prevent needless duplication of study parameters and suggest future study directions, the soil fertility and fertilizer community needs to systematically compile what we know in order to move forward in the most efficient manner possible.

Project Goals:

  • Compile a database that will characterize environmental variables (latitude and longitude, precipitation, soil texture, soil organic matter, and plot size).
  • Meta-analysis will re-evaluate the current literature on nitrapyrin, and expand the analysis to include other nitrification inhibitors, urease inhibitors, and controlled release fertilizers will create a more useful and broader-scoped analysis of the environmental and agronomic benefits of these management practices in Midwestern corn production.

Project Results:

  • Application timing and nitrogen rate had a greater effect than nitrogen source with enhanced efficiency properties for management and environmental factors for this specific meta-analysis.
  • A need for an additional assessment that coverages greater regions and specific systems that are susceptible to losses is clear.
  • Nitrate leaching and water-quality information reported with measures of variability are the biggest information gap at this time for both tile-drained and non-tile-drained systems.

Annual Reports

2014

2015

A ‘Manage’ ed approach for 4R nutrient stewardship on drained land

Crops: Canola Corn for grain Corn for silage Cotton Hay Potato Rice Ryegrass Sorghum Soybeans Sugar beets Sugarcane Winter wheat Wheat
4R Practices: Metadata Project

A “MANAGE”ed Approach to 4R Nutrient Stewardship on Drained Land

Lead Researcher:

Dr. Laura Christianson

Assistant Professor

University of Illinois

Collaborating scientists and universities

  • Dr. R. Daren Harmel, USDA-ARS

Start Date: 2014

End Date: 2015

Matching Funds

  • Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Resource Board

Project Summary

As agriculture in the 21st century is faced with increasing pressure to reduce negative environmental impacts while continuing to efficiently produce food, fiber, and fuel, it becomes ever more important to reflect upon more than half a century of drainage water quality research to identify future paths towards increased sustainability. This work provided a quantitative review of the water quality and crop yield impacts of artificially drained agronomic systems across North America by compiling data from drainage nutrient studies into the “Measured Annual Nutrient loads from Agricultural Environments” (MANAGE) database. Of the nearly 400 studies reviewed, 91 individual journal publications and 1279 site-years were included in the new MANAGE Drain Load table with data from 1961 to 2012.

Project Goals:

  • The MANAGE Drain Load database: Review and compilation of more than fifty years of drainage nutrient studies.
  • 4Rs water quality impacts: A review and synthesis of forty years of drainage nitrogen losses.
  • A quantitative review and synthesis of fifty years of drainage phosphorus losses.

Project Results:

  • Increasing nitrogen application rates both improved crop yields and increased dissolved nitrogen loads in drainage. “Fine-tuning” these rates is clearly important from economic and environmental standpoints, but it would be short-sighted and unrealistic to focus solely on this practice.
  • The order of magnitude difference between agronomic phosphorus application rates and phosphorus loadings that can cause ecological damage presents a serious environmental challenge, especially compared to nitrogen. Across the literature, generally less than 2% of applied phosphorus was lost in drainage in a given site year.
  • Practices such as applying at planting or side-dressing had lowest median nitrogen losses (not significant).
  • Adherence to 4Rs strategies is vital regardless of the nutrient source, and accurate implementation of the 4Rs approach will require site-specific knowledge.

Annual Reports

2015

Publications

Phosphorus Fertilizer Placement and Tillage Interaction for Corn and Soybean in the U.S.

Crops: Corn for grain Corn for silage Soybeans
4R Practices: Metadata Project

Meta-analysis of Phosphorus Fertilizer Placement and Tillage Interaction for Corn and Soybean in the U.S.

Lead Researcher:

Dr. Dorivar Ruiz Diaz

Professor

Kansas State University

Start Date: 2014

End Date: 2015

Collaborating scientists and universities

  • Dr. David Mengel, Kansas State University
  • Dr. Cristie Preston, Senior Agronomist, Nutrien

Matching Funds

  • Kansas Soybean Commission
  • Kansas Corn Commission
  • USDA-NRCS
  • Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station
  • Kansas State University Department of Agronomy

Project Summary

Phosphorus placement and interactions with tillage has been evaluated extensively for corn and soybean in the US. Results suggest that placement of P fertilizer can play an important role in early P plant uptake and yield as well as potential P loses to surface water for some soils and tillage conditions. The rate of P uptake per unit of root in corn decreases throughout the vegetative growth phase; and therefore early season P fertilizer applications and placement can be particularly important for optimum plant growth. Broadcast application can result in a more uniform distribution and likely affecting more soil volume. Crops have shown a response for various levels of soil test, including low soil test P (STP) conditions and medium to high STP. However, accumulation of P near the soil surface may result in higher lost potential with runoff; and possible decreased P availability due to increased soil-fertilizer interaction in soils with high P sorption capacity. Broadcast application may be more practical for some producers and suitable for some soils and tillage conditions. However, soils and tillage conditions and the interaction with P application methods should be evaluated with larger datasets and across different soils and environments. Potential P loses with water runoff can be affected significantly by phosphorus placement and tillage. Many studies in the US evaluated water runoff and P loses as affected by tillage and fertilizer. However studies often show different results, which may be due to differences in soils, rainfall amounts and intensities, slope, moisture content, and infiltration rate. Evaluation and summary of the existing literature can help to identify factors contributing to potential P loses in addition to tillage and fertilizer placement. Crop response and P loss potential can be affected by the interaction between soil and tillage factors with P fertilizer placement. Accurate evaluation of these interactions would require large dataset that comprise a variety of soils, tillage and placement combinations.

Project Goals:

  • Analyze and summarize published and unpublished field-based data on corn and soybean response to P placement and the interaction with tillage.
  • Complete a data review on yield response and phosphorus loses with surface runoff as affected by P placement and tillage interaction.
  • Include data review of estimated P use efficiency with placement and tillage interactions; and estimate the economic return associated with different systems.

Project Results:

  • Very limited amount of work is available on the long-term effect of specific management systems used by producers for tillage and/or placement on potential P loses to surface water.
  • Some states in the US have limited amount of published data on the overall topic of tillage by P placement interaction for both agronomic and environmental implications.
  • Results of all evidence analysis show higher corn yield means with broadcast applications in soils with soil-test P below <20 ppm phosphorus.
  • Higher corn yields were also observed with conventional tillage in soils with high STP.
  • Analysis of direct evidence shows generally lower corn yields in no-till systems with little difference between placements.
  • Band P fertilizer applications yielded highest in high STP and may provide a yield increase only if the rates are limiting (< 19 lb P ac-1).

Annual Reports

2015

2016