Sometimes farmers can do more with less. All they have to do is remember their 4Rs.
“Agriculture is under the microscope today more than ever before. Through proper management, we can show our customers — the consumers of the goods we produce — that we care about the environment,” said Steven DeVries, an agronomist with Neerlandia Co-op in central Alberta.
“With the 4R Nutrient Stewardship, we are doing our best to minimize negative impacts to our surrounding environment. In fact, we’re improving the overall soil quality.”
The 4R Nutrient Stewardship project is an industry-wide collaboration to promote fertilizer best management practices that benefit the environment and growers’ bottom lines. It’s based on simple scientific principles: give each crop the nutrients it needs as they are required.
The initiative is a response to some serious challenges. Nutrient loss and runoff are issues for farmers and the environment. At the same time, a growing global population will demand a large increase in food production. Crop nutrition products will help farmers answer this call, but growers will also have to demonstrate sustainable agricultural systems.
What are the 4Rs?
The 4Rs enable growers to improve agricultural productivity while minimizing environmental impacts by reducing the amount of nutrients that are not utilized by plants.
With every application, growers should consider:
- Right source: Ensure a balanced supply of essential nutrients, considering both naturally available sources and the characteristics of specific products, in plant available forms.
- Right rate: Assess and make decisions based on soil nutrient supply and plant demand.
- Right time: Assess and make decisions based on the dynamics of crop uptake, soil supply, nutrient loss risks and field operation logistics.
- Right place: Address root-soil dynamics and nutrient movement and manage spatial variability within the field to meet site-specific crop needs and limit potential losses from the field.
Source: 4R Nutrient Stewardship
“In general, I think farmers intuitively understand the 4R management considerations,” said DeVries, who is receiving 4R Nutrient Stewardship training. “Farm businesses deal with tight margins all the time. Putting input dollars where they are most needed just makes sense. 4R Nutrient Stewardship training may just help them quantify what they already know.”
Stewardship at Work
Western Canadian farmers have already adopted many practices applicable to the 4R model. Some these activities include:
- Grid soil sampling and incorporation of yield data and maps into fertility planning.
- Satellite imagery scouting to make in-season application decisions.
- Variable rate fertilizer application technologies.
- Avoiding unnecessary applications to non-crop areas.
Other recommended 4R practices are:
- Ensuring the timing of your nutrient applications are within the recommended periods.
- Using leaf colour charts, chlorophyll meters or optical sensors to make your in-season application decisions.
- Pairing your applications with soil conservation practices.
“Here on the Prairies, we have a proud tradition of agriculture and conservation. No-till practices are commonplace, so we’re already taking steps to maximize our efficiency,” said DeVries. “By assessing our fertilizer practices with the 4Rs, we can help ensure the success of our farms and industry into the future.”
Agronomist
