Industry's Stewardship in Fertilizer Efficiency, Crop Yields and Environmental Quality.

Meeting the world’s growing demand for food, feed, fiber, and fuel necessitates greater and more efficient use of crop nutrients, while minimizing the negative impacts of nutrients on the environment. The crop nutrient industry is responding to these challenges in several ways: 1) re-emphasizing fertilizer best management practices (BMPs); 2) supporting research to validate and define BMPs; 3) supporting a network of trained professional agronomists and crop advisors to advise growers and help implement BMPs; and 4) developing new, more efficient nutrient delivery systems.  Many crop nutrient management goals can be achieved through the implementation of best management practices (BMPs) that can simultaneously increase crop productivity, economic profitability, and protect the environment.  The industry defines nutrient BMPs within a “4R” Nutrient Stewardship Framework.  This simply means apply the right nutrient source at the right rate, the right time, and in the right place in consideration of agronomic, economic, social, and environmental outcomes both locally and globally.  The scientific principles behind nutrient best management practices are universal, but there is no universally “best” combination of practices.  Nutrient applications must be managed to achieve desired agronomic, economic, social, and environmental outcomes based on locally specific conditions.  A “4R” stewardship approach requires a scientific basis for nutrient management decisions – that is research to determine and validate the “right” practices for specific conditions – and a network of trained professional agronomists and crop advisors to help advise growers in implementing best management practices.  The industry is also developing new nutrient delivery systems to improve efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of these essential inputs.  A variety of new “enhanced-efficiency fertilizers” and application approaches are proving to be more efficient as they reduce losses and improve plant recovery of applied nutrients.