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.
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Nothing in Farming Is Ever Easy
Circa late-1990s. I was sitting at Inness Farm Supply, a plate of BBQ on my lap, listening to the Monsanto rep carry on about the advantages of Roundup Ready Corn. After hearing all the benefits, I asked THE question. “Won’t this accelerate weed resistance?” She looked at me like she wanted to summon security. Then she emphatically assured the group that resistance was not a possibility. I just smiled and replied that nature always finds a way. It did. In 2000, resistant horseweed was discovered on the East Coast. Today, 18 weed species across 38 states are resistant to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup.
