4 R Stewardship In Ontario

Dale Cowan CCA. On - 4 R NMS

Senior Agronomist AGRIS and Wanstead Farmers Cooperative

Member of the Technical Committee of 4 R Ontario

Todays presentation is brought to you by the letter

“V”Voluntary

4 R Stewardship

• What is 4R Nutrient stewardship

• Where did it come from

• How is it impacting Great Lakes Farmers

• When is it coming to Ontario

• What are the implications of 4R for my farm

I will try to make it less complicated compared to some other critters

The Beginning of 4 R Concept• The concept can be traced back to a report from OECD in 2008

(Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development)

• The report was on Environmental Performance of Agricultural and it states “ a key requirement of the indicators is that they adequately track developments that are of public concern, and are able to reflect changes in policies and farmer activities”

• The Fertilizer institute Washington DC, International Plant Nutrition Institute in Georgia and International Fertilizer industry Association in Paris

• Worked collaboratively to create the framework for 4 R Stewardship

Beginnings of 4 R

• The 4 R Framework describes on farm nutrient management practices with the irreducible simplicity of applying:

• Right Source

• Right Rate

• Right Time

• Right place

• In 2012 the TFI, trademarked the 4 R logo

Beginnings of 4 R

4R NUTRIENT STEWARDSHIP Trademark InformationThe Fertilizer InstitutePromoting public awareness of the need for fertilizer best management practices and of the need for responsible, efficient and environmentally sound fertilizer use that expands production, increases farmer profitability and improves sustainability

4 R Stewardship is a Sustainability Program

• Industry has developed a balanced set of indicators under the 3 pillars of Economic, Environmental and Social

• The “right” under 4 R’s is defined by using performance indicators selected by stakeholders

• Universal scientific principles of nutrient cycles, soil fertility, and plant nutrition, manifest themselves in specific management practices that vary with climate, soil types, access to technology, local economies and cultures

• The highest probability of meeting goals for agricultural systems occurs when science is applied to a defined suite of practices which farmers can select and use adaptive management

The 4 R s• “Right” is not a scientific term it is an ethical term• Goals of the program depend on values and beliefs of stakeholders• Stakeholders represent a broad range of not only producers but consumers

and those that live in the environment impacted by the cropping system• The 4 R goals are not determine just by science but by people informed by

science who apply their beliefs and values to determine targeted outcomes • The farmer of the land needs the final decision in selecting practices, due

to such factors as weather and varying site specific conditions right up to the moment of implementation

• Local site specific decision making is better than a rigid regulatory approach, ( need to consider overlapping BMPs, no one solution fits everything)

Soil Type Map Chatham- Kent

Each color is a different soil type with inherently different features• Depth• Texture• Slope• Drainage class• Add in all the different cropping systems and

management you have a highly variable landscape

• If the map was all one color then maybe a single solution might have some merit- maybe

Responsibilities of 4 R Practitioners• Under a 4 R, source, rate, time and place there is a need for

education, knowledge and training

• All people involved in application of all nutrients need a higher level of awareness

• From those making the recommendations

• To those applying the recommended rates

• Need to consider the comprehensive impact of their practices on sustainability

• Decision support systems/ research and policies need to be aligned

CCA Program - Building Capacity

• We have a base of knowledgeable and trusted advisors ( over 600)

• It is a certification program from ASA, 4 Core competencies SWQ, CP, NM, IPM and now 4 R NMS specialty

• 110 registered to write exams

• We have 89, 4R NMS qualified CCAs, this represents over a third of all of North American 4 R certified CCAs

August 3, 2014

Ontario – What’s happening here?

• Memorandum of Cooperation signed in 2015, OMAFRA, Fertilizer Canada, Ontario Agribusiness Association

• Mutual agreement that 4 R Stewardship is a good voluntary approach for P reduction losses

• Funding from all parties - 4R Ontario Formed • Development of a Steering Committee and Technical Standards committee

consisting of the 3 signatories and Grain Farmers of Ontario, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario, Conservation Ontario, and The Nature Conservancy-Ohio, IPNI and CCA Ontario

• 4 R Audit Program for Ag Retailers • Covers Governance and Audit standards- science based solutions

4R Retail Certification Pilot Program- Ohio

• The 4R Ag Retail Certification pilot program involves voluntary certification of agri-retail facilities that focuses on a series of 41 auditable criteria established on the principles of 4R Nutrient Stewardship.

• 4 Ontario agri-retail locations in the South Western Ontario volunteered to participate in the audit program for the pilot program: • Thompsons Limited• Setterington’s Fertilizer Service Ltd.• AGRIS Co-operative Ltd.• South West Ag Partners Inc.

• Exploratory audits conducted by the lead auditor from the 4R Ohio indicated that Ontario ag-retailers were very close to meeting the audit standards with their current “business as usual” practices.

4R Ontario is MovingForward in 2018!

• Continue to promote increased adoption of 4R; provide general agri-retailer staff and farmer training; and develop affiliated resources

• 4R Retailer Certification – focus on building capacity, industry accountability, relevant targets, program audit standards

• Identify research and science gaps

• Increased communication efforts with all stakeholders, including the grower organizations, government and environmental NGO’s

4R Retailer Certification

• Based on pilot project results 4R Ontario Steering Committee has approved the development of a voluntary agri-retailer 4R certification program

• 37 auditable standards to reflect Ontario conditions

• 4R Ontario Science & Technical Committee working on Ontario specific details of the certification/audit standards

4 Main Areas of the Audit Process

• Training and education

• Recommendations

• Application

• Documentation

Training and Education

Recommendations

Application

Documentation

Learning from the “Ohio Experience”

Ohio - Validation by Third Party

Third party audits conducted by the Nutrient Stewardship Council

• Nutrient Stewardship Council (NSC)Agricultural Business

Grower Organization

Government

Environmental NGO (Nature Conservancy)

Universities / Researchers

How would a local 4 R Plan Begin• In conversation with a local retailer/ trusted advisor with a certified

staff

• Could start with risk assessment of fields

• Poorly or imperfectly drained

• Sloping fields in close proximity to open water

• Fields with less than 30% residue cover on the surface

• Highly variable soil textures

• High test P soils above maintenance levels

• Broadcast fertility

Green Fields and Blue Lakes

• Inject or band P

• Lightly incorporate broadcast P

• Follow recommended set backs-Source Water, NMP

• Limit broadcast P to one or two crop years

• Soil tests kept current 3 to 4 years

• Follow recommendations

• N Stabilizers

• Consider variable rate site specific applications

• Do not apply ahead of heavy rain forecast

• Reduced tillage

• Cover Crops

Summary• 4 R Stewardship is more than saying source, rate, time and place

• It is a sustainability program, if it is not documented it did not happen!

• Implementation is best done by working locally with trusted advisors

• Third party Audit program provides verification , auditor has no vested interest if we pass or fail

• The opposite of Voluntary is …………….

• Being voluntold

Thank you for listening

?https://fertilizercanada.ca/nutrient-stewardship/4rs-across-canada/ontario