Why “Right” Matters to Soil

Think of soil and the nutrients that sustain it as a highly engineered factory — precision, balance and maintenance are essential to optimizing performance. This is the idea behind an adaptive management approach known as 4R Nutrient Stewardship — applying the right nutrient at the right rate at the right time and the right place. Determining these 4Rs requires evaluating three key metrics — farmland productivity, soil health and nutrient use efficiency. Overemphasis on any one of these comes at the expense of the others; the successful balance of all three can result in increased yields and sustained soil health. The payoffs to society and the environment are huge. When farmers produce more food, then populations are better nourished. Optimal harvests enhance economic value, supporting jobs on the farm and beyond. Farming less acreage in an environmentally sound manner ensures better water and air quality. It also means that more land Can be set aside for nature to perform its critical carbon sequestration function. But implementing the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Program is not always easy. It requires awareness, training and resources that are not always available to every farmer. That’s why CF and its industry colleagues — retailers, agronomists and other agricultural suppliers — endorse 4R practices and actively work to support their adoption.