The Nutrient Research and Education Council was created in 2012 by the State of Illinois and is man aged by representatives from farmer organizations, commercial fertilizer, specialty fertilizer, and IDOA. Members of environmental organizations also provide input to the council and help identify research priorities for the organizations. NREC has ensured that funds designated for research stay on track. This funding has been a driving force in the development and implementation of science-based approaches to nutrient management in the state.
Between 2012 and 2016, NREC invested $9.8 million in nutrient efficiency research. NREC supports four categories of research. These categories are described here, along with specific issues:
- Application and understanding of the 4Rs—identifying BMPs and expanding the understanding of these practices related to more efficient fertilizer applications and using those nutrients for crop production.
- Capture of excess nutrients in the field—primarily using cover crops
- Mitigation of excess nutrient loss to water supplies through edge-of-field practices, including woodchip bioreactors, wetlands, buffers, and other practices designed to capture nutrients before they reach water supplies.
- Other nutrient management issues, including understanding the impact of nitrogen oxides, phosphorus, and potassium removal in grain.
