4R Nutrient Stewardship considers the agronomic, economic, environmental, and social dimensions of nutrient management. The concept of the 4R system is to apply or recommend the right source of nutrient, at the right rate, at the right time, and in the right place.
In 2018, IFCA will incorporate a system for retailers to verify and report the implementation of 4R practices on acres in their facility territories. The 4R metrics captured are based on the IFCA 4R Code of Practice which include acres using split-applied nitrogen, acres using stabilized nitrogen, acres following MRTN, acres routinely soil tested with phosphorus levels applied accordingly, and frozen or snow-covered acres not receiving fertilizer applications. This reporting system will enable the industry to track progress on adoption and improve adoption on more acres over time.
As farmers are learning the value of split-nitrogen application, the fertilizer industry has responded to meet these demands. The 4R education efforts have resulted in a decrease in the rates of fall-applied anhydrous ammonia. This change in nitrogen application timing has led agricultural retailers to increase their capacity to store UAN (liquid nitrogen) as well as urea (dry nitrogen), both of which are applied in the spring and can also be side-dressed as part of a split-application system.
In the past several years, the fertilizer industry has invested substantially in storage, transportation, trained personnel, and equipment to meet the demands of their customers. Additionally, the industry provides 4R approaches so that farmers can successfully manage both nitrogen and phosphorus throughout the season with the goal of improving nutrient use by the crop and mitigating the risk of nutrient loss.
