Fertilizers are food – or nutrients – for plants. Just like people, plants need the right nutrition to thrive.
Fertilizers are one of the most important tools farmers use to grow crops around the world, and are responsible for half of current global food production. Without enough nutrients, farmers will not be able to grow the staple crops (like wheat, soybeans, corn, rice, oats, sorghum and millet) the world’s population needs to survive.
When farmers use fertilizer, they can grow more food on the same amount of land. This is called productivity. Higher productivity decreases the amount of land needed to grow food, and this prevents converting fragile ecosystems to cropland. It improves food security by supplying food to a rapidly expanding global population. It also leads to healthier, more productive soils that become a carbon sink, removing carbon dioxide from the air and storing in the soil as organic matter.
Thanks to modern fertilizers, world food production has more than doubled since 1960. Today, about half of our global food supply is directly linked to the use of commercial fertilizers.
But correct application of fertilizers is crucial.
Using too much fertilizer can have a negative impact on the environment. There’s a risk excess fertilizer will run off fields into waterways or be released into the air. This can cause excessive algae and plant growth which reduces the oxygen level in the water and harms aquatic life. The manufacturing process and use of fertilizer also contribute significant greenhouse gas emissions.
4R Nutrient Stewardship is an internationally recognized Canadian innovation. It is a voluntary program that advocates for responsible and effective management of fertilizer by using a science-based approach to guide farmers in the proper use of plant nutrients. Every farmer is required to develop site-specific best management practices for their farm under the guidance of a 4R Certified Crop Advisor.
The 4 Rs stand for:
Right fertilizer source – matching fertilizer type to crop needs (these are unique to each field, each season and each year)
Right rate – applying a specific amount of fertilizer to maximize the amount a crop can grow (rates are specific to each plant variety)
Right time – making sure nutrients are available when a crop needs it the most (farmers choose to apply fertilizer before seeding, at seeding or during growth)
Right place – placing the fertilizer where the plant can access it best (in the soil, at the root or on the leaves)
And it’s making a difference! The proactive efforts of farmers have made Canada one of the most efficient fertilizer users in the world. For example, over 78% of canola acres and 97% of acres seeded to spring wheat in Saskatchewan receive phosphorus when the seeds are planting. This reduces run-off of phosphorus by up to 75% and means that vulnerable wetlands remain protected.
Nitrogen use efficiency is another indicator. This measures how well crops use nutrients farmer give to them. Over the last 10 years, Canadian farmers have increased how efficiently they are farming so that the national nitrogen use efficiency is 72%, which is higher than the global average of between 30 to 53%.
Every year, more and more farmers are becoming aware of the benefits of incorporating basic 4R Nutrient Stewardship on their farm.
Keeping the soil healthy is a benefit to farmers’ bottom lines, the environment and the sustained ability to grow food into the future.
Farmers work hard to provide for their families, care for the animals they raise and grow food safely and efficiently. The decisions they make daily influence their ability to produce nutritious and high-quality food in a sustainable, responsible way that ensures future generations can continue to farm. Canadian agriculture has created sustainability and farm stewardship initiatives to guide production and management practices in almost every sector.
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