Planning for 4R nutrient management must be farm-specific — that is, geared for the unique crops, cropping practices, soils and climatic conditions of the farm, researcher Ross McKenzie writes.
Tag Archives 4R
Make a plan to achieve the four Rs of fertilizer management
Agronomy Management: Remember, what’s 'right' for on-farm nutrient management varies from region to region
Researcher focuses on farmers’ real-world problems
Groundbreaker: Mario Tenuta’s love of learning, and desire to be useful, have driven his career as a soil scientist
You’ve probably seen Dr. Mario Tenuta at an ag field day or a soil seminar. He’s the guy in the Hawaiian shirt, having a good time giving a presentation about new soil research or talking to farmers about what’s going on at their farms. Tenuta is a tenured soil ecology professor at the University of […] Read more
Digging deep for soil phosphorus
Field Notes: P movement is limited in soil, particularly under dry soil conditions
As my PhD work conducted over the past four years reaches its completion, I’ve reflected on my master’s work more in the last few months than I’ve done since completing it nine years ago. In this column, I would like to highlight a few take-home messages from that work. The 4Rs of phosphorus (P) stewardship […] Read more
The role of enhanced efficiency fertilizers in nitrogen fertilization
Crop Nutrition: Maximum crop production cannot be achieved with fertilizers and amendments alone
When trying to enhance crop production with fertilizer, we first need to answer the following questions: What crop yields are possible and what fertility and moisture are required to get there? Crops exhibit different water use efficiency in every part of the Prairies. Water use efficiency is also weather dependent and when combined with best […] Read more
VIDEO: Why you should soil test
Soil testing is an essential tool in order to determine what your crop needs, ideally before a seed even hits the ground. One could say this is the starting point for growers to establish a fertility strategy, and a good way to approach this is with a 4R nutrient stewardship plan. At the recent 4R […] Read more
Drought preparedness through soil and crop management
After each dry year, adapt your drought plan based on your experiences and what you learned
As spring approaches, the agricultural community is becoming increasingly concerned about potential forecasts of drought across the southern Prairies. And rightly so; the print and electronic media have posted numerous drought-related articles. Wide areas of southern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan and their dryland farms, irrigated farms and ranching areas could be affected. But what helpful […] Read more
FCC announces new 4R incentive
The program is open to FCC customers who use AgExpert platform
FCC announced the new Sustainability Incentive Program at the Western Canadian Crop Production Show in Saskatoon. The program is open to FCC customers who put a 4R nutrient management plan in place, record production activities through AgExpert Field, and have their 4R practices verified by a 4R designated agronomist.
More bang for your fertilizer buck
Study provides more proof that pulse crops contribute to nitrogen use efficiency
Canadian farmers are expected to spend a record $23.1 billion on inputs in 2023, so they will be looking to get the most bang for their buck when it comes to fertilizer. A recent western Canadian study could make that task a little easier in the not-too-distant future. The Resilient Rotations project is a comprehensive, […] Read more
Multi-million-dollar fund greenlights soil health projects
Eight projects to push soil health practices will get funding for the next five years
Eight soil health projects across Canada will be getting a multi-million-dollar boost in private funding over the next five years. The Weston Family Foundation — the philanthropic arm of the Weston business empire — has slated $10 million for those eight projects through the organization’s soil health initiative, it was announced Feb. 13. The initiative […] Read more
New incentives for farmers to practice 4R
Most everybody knows how important 4R nutrient management is. Applying nitrogen and other nutrients from the right source and at the right rate, time and place ensures crops get all of the nutrients they need while also minimizing losses through nitrous oxide emissions. Many believe 4R nutrient stewardship could also be key to reaching the […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
