By now, most of us in agriculture have been made aware of the “4Rs” Nutrient Stewardship initiative—Right Source, Right Time, Right Rate, and Right Place—developed by The Fertilizer Institute, International Plant Nutrition Institute, Fertilizer Canada, and International Fertilizer Association. The 4Rs program advocates the implementation of best management practices that optimize the efficiency of fertilizer use.
The new 4R Plus initiative adds in soil conservation practices that enhance soil health and improve water quality, with the goal of achieving a more productive crop now and in the future. Strategies advocated include reducing tillage, planting cover crops, and adding structures such as contour strips, grass waterways, and stream buffers or terraces. The goal is to reduce or completely eliminate the negative impacts of fertilizer use associated with nitrogen leaching and phosphorus runoff into lakes, rivers, and watersheds.
A business case is made that it is in growers’ best economic interests to implement these practices, which can lead to increased productivity, profitability, and resiliency—along with increased land value for the next generation. Here is a video that provides an overview of the initiative:
Huma Gro® products fit perfectly into the 4Rs and 4R Plus initiatives, particularly because of our proprietary Micro Carbon Technology® that makes our liquid fertilizers more effective and efficient (a 5th R, Right Nutrient Carrier), and also because they allow growers to “spoon feed” nutrients to crops at the exact point in the crop growth cycle when specific nutrients are needed, eliminating much fertilizer waste.
Click on the “Learn More About Our Products” button below to have a Huma Gro® Sales Representative contact you and explain how we can help your farm succeed in the 4R Plus movement.
Related Posts
This Week in Ag #62
Last week my wife and I frequented a rather posh coffee shop in Gilbert, AZ. I was wearing my “God Made a Farmer” t-shirt, likely not common attire for such a place. Yet the number of compliments I received about it was astounding. The well-to-do clientele ranged from fancy-iced-coffee-drinking twenty somethings to retired couples. But the tenor
Pickin’ Time or Payout Time? The Reality of Fall Harvest
Fall is usually the most exciting season on the farm, but this year rising input costs and declining farmer sentiment are overshadowing the joy of harvest. With corn facing steep losses per acre and overall farm expenses projected to hit record highs, the numbers tell a sobering story for agriculture’s most important season.
This Week in Ag #64
My #Plant24 corn went in the ground on May 1, and it was up in just five days. We planted in ideal conditions: soil temperature was 76 degrees, and while the surface was dry, the seeds were placed two inches deep in moist soil. We’ve had nearly 1.5” of rain since. Preplant broadcast applications included our Supers
