ESN: A Proud Partner in the Canola 4R Advantage
Support programs in place for canola growers
Canola growers know the value of feeding their crop when it needs it most. The 4R Nutrient Management strategy precisely quantifies the factors that make the investment in nitrogen efficient and sustainable: the Right Source, Right Rate, Right Time, and Right Place.
The Canola Council of Canada developed the Canola 4R Advantage program with funding through the On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF). The program offers incentives to help growers initiate or advance 4R Nutrient Stewardship on canola acres. The funding is allocated to each province to help pay for best management practices (BMPs) in four areas: soil testing, field zone mapping consulting services, enhanced efficiency fertilizer (EEF) and preferred application. The change required to qualify for the grant is increased adoption of a practice. For example, if the current practice is 25 per cent ESN in the blend and it is increased to 50 per cent, the increase should qualify. If ESN is only used on part of the farm and then new fields are added, the new fields should qualify.
ESN can have an effect on crop quality and yield. Its polymer coating provides the added benefit of protection against nitrogen loss including leaching, denitrification, and volatilization.
“Expanding the use of 4R Nutrient Stewardship is an important opportunity to improve fertilizer efficiency, which is good for both farm productivity and the environment,” said Lyle Cowell, Senior Agronomist, Nutrien. “One of the recommendations is the use of enhanced efficiency fertilizers. Nutrien Premium Fertilizer Technologies is proud to have ESN on the list of approved tools to help growers achieve more sustainable nitrogen applications in their canola fields.”
The end of year two of Canola 4R Advantage marks the completion of the CCC’s role as a delivery partner under the On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF).
