Track and Incorporate Current Conditions and Upcoming Weather Forecasts When Planning Nutrient Applications

As we head into spring planting season, it’s a good time to review best practices for use of crop nutrients – and one of the best tools farmers and agricultural retail advisors have at their fingertips is the weather forecast.

That information can help avoid surface applications that are likely to be subjected to heavy rainfall events. The heaviest rainfall events are the main culprits driving nutrient losses from fields, and care should be taken to avoid them. Proper timing of fertilizer applications in light of the prevailing and forecast conditions is a critical element to avoid nutrient losses that contribute to water pollution, particularly in sloping fields where runoff can be exacerbated.

To address this issue, farmers and agricultural experts statewide refer to and follow the “4R” principles of fertilizer use: applying the Right fertilizer source, at the Right rate, at the Right time, and in the Right place. In the case of weather events, the Right Time is the critical element. By following these principles, including a careful review of upcoming conditions and potential precipitation events, farmers can improve their agronomic efficiency and return on investment, while also reducing the risk of nutrient loss.

More information about the 4R program can be found here, courtesy of The Fertilizer Institute.

Source: The Fertilizer Institute

Across Michigan, expert agronomists are key partners for farmers to examine nutrient use and optimize it for each field, leveraging today’s advanced technology.

As TFI notes, “Whether creating custom blends of bulk fertilizers or through precision agriculture techniques for soil analysis and crop mapping, agronomists are a valuable farmer resource…Many industry agronomists are Certified Crop Advisers (CCAs), having met rigorous standards prescribed by the American Society of Agronomy. CCA certification assures farmer customers that their crop advisers are equipped to apply leading edge technical knowledge to fertilizer recommendations.”

While water degradation has many causes and poses a complex problem, heavy rainfall events transporting excess nutrients from fields are a threat, and mitigating nutrient losses using proven best practices is important.

By working together to continue implementing the 4R principles and properly timing fertilizer applications, farmers and agricultural experts can help to reduce the risk of nutrient losses and protect the water quality in watersheds statewide.