4R Refresher
By Kirsten Grant
Crop Sales Specialist
AGRIS Co-operative - Brigden
We continue to make our way through a challenging and wet harvest season. While many had planned to apply more fertilizer this fall, delayed harvest and wet field conditions have tightened our window to make this happen. With these challenges, it remains important to stay mindful of our shared commitment to 4R Nutrient Stewardship.
4R Nutrient Stewardship
Right Source
The Right Source ensures a balanced supply of essential crop nutrients. We encourage current site-specific soil sampling to determine your fertilizer needs and create nutrient recommendations. Your AGRIS team can help provide you with an optimal fertilizer blend to meet your crop needs, with guaranteed analysis.
Right Rate
The Right Rate ensures adequate fertilizer to meet crop demands while considering existing soil fertility. We match the nutrient demand of the plant with available nutrient supply in your soil, to help us assess whether a build, maintain or drawdown approach to a field’s fertility recommendation is needed. A recent soil test within the last 4 years is important for making the best current recommendations.
Right Time
The Right Time means applying fertilizer nearest to when the plant will need it, and avoiding times when risk of nutrient loss to the environment is high. It is important to be aware of dynamics of nutrient loss, particularly in the non-growing season. Should you get an opportunity to apply P this fall, remember it needs to be incorporated. Nutrients should not be applied on frozen soil or snow-covered ground.
Right Place
The Right Place ensures fertilizer is placed where nutrients are easily available to the plant, and where it is less likely to be lost to the environment. Detailed soil sampling programs can help us assess and manage spatial variability in the field. We can use this to build variable rate application plans, to ensure nutrients are placed where they will have the most impact.
Together all of the 4R nutrient stewardship practices will help you optimize your investment in nutrients.
Connect with your AGRIS Crop Sales Specialist to discuss customized soil sampling plans, and site-specific fertilizer recommendations for your fields.