Smart Stewardship: The Importance of Sustainable Nutrient Management

A farmer checks quality of soil before sowing. woman farmer with a tablet in field holds earth in his hands. girl agronomist checks the quality of sowing grain. business woman checks her field

Nutrient management is a critical aspect of sustainable farming. When nutrients and inputs are effectively managed, they are invaluable tools that can drive both yield and profitability. 4R Nutrient Stewardship provides growers with a framework for achieving just that—allowing you to better understand your crop’s needs while optimizing nutrient applications. Our Smart Stewardship video series takes a closer look at the relationship between nutrient management and sustainable farming and how the right source and rate of nutrients can positively impact sustainability.

The Right Source

Every field behaves differently and has its own set of conditions. Some soils are so well-drained that nutrients are prone to leaching, while others are more susceptible to runoff or increased weather volatility. Regardless of your environment and field conditions, nutrient loss is always a costly risk. Sustainable nutrient management is rooted in the idea of minimizing this loss while maximizing profitability and return on investment. The right nutrient source will allow you to balance nutrient uptake and loss. This is critical to economic sustainability on the farm, but it’s also vital to environmental sustainability as the loss of nutrients can negatively affect both water and air.

The simplest way to understand if you are using the right source is to focus on ensuring your inputs align with the nutrient requirements of your crop.

The Right Rate

Where’s the best place to start when you’re thinking about managing your nutrients sustainably? A soil test.

Soil testing gives you an accurate idea of the nutrients removed from your soil over previous growing seasons and the nutrients that are still available. It gives you the unique opportunity to tailor your nutrient management plan to your specific field conditions, environment and climate. When soil tests are performed, growers have a better understanding of their desired application rates and are less likely to over or under apply nutrients.

ESN: Your Partner In Sustainable Nutrient Management

Certain technologies can also help you sustainably manage your nutrients. Enhanced-efficiency fertilizers, such as ESN, increase nutrient availability for your crop while reducing losses to the environment. ESN is designed and proven to minimize the loss mechanisms that conventional nitrogen sources are prone to while increasing nutrient availability—ensuring your crops get the nitrogen they need when they need it most.