Science and Stakeholder Engagement on 4R Nutrient Stewardship, Sustainability, and Nutrient Performance Indicators: A recent central to eastern U.S. and global perspective

Abstract

Farmers and society are becoming more aware of the need to better protect water, air and soil resources. The focus of the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI) is on responsible nutrient management and stewardship to support the needs of the growing human family. Since 2007, IPNI has been more actively engaged with university scientists, federal and state agencies, agribusiness associations, crop advisers, and nongovernmental partners to get more of the applied nutrients - especially fertilizer nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) - into the standing crop and retained in the soil. By getting more of the applied nutrients into the crop, it is expected that losses to water and air resources will be minimized and soil health will be protected and improved. Leading examples of several IPNI science efforts in key stewardship and sustainability arenas will be shared in this paper, including: 1) greenhouse gas emission, water quality, soil carbon and soil health metrics within the Fieldprint Calculator of the Field to Market Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture; 2) enhanced efficiency fertilizers within the 4R concept to protect crop yields while minimizing global agricultural nitrous oxide emissions; 3) 4R nutrient stewardship and N research to protect local surface water quality, help address state nutrient loss reduction strategies, and lessen downstream loads to major rivers and the Gulf of Mexico; 4) N management research needs and management guidance to protect and increase crop yields, soil health and cropping system resiliency in the face of climate change; 5) state agribusiness and conservation group engagement to cope with local nitrate drainage and drinking water challenges; and 6) integrated N management solutions addressing interests of the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the United Nations Environment Program Global Partnership on Nutrient Management (GPNM), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development OECD), the International Nitrogen Initiative (INI) and the International Nitrogen Management System (INMS).

Snyder, C.S. 2017. Science and Stakeholder Engagement on 4R Nutrient Stewardship, Sustainability, and Nutrient Performance Indicators: A recent central to eastern U.S. and global perspective. Proceedings of the Western Nutrient Management Conference 12: 61-70.