4R Nutrient Stewardship Opportunities for Ontario

Transcription

1 Ontario Agri Business Association Crops Update London, Ontario 9 December R Nutrient Stewardship Opportunities for Ontario Tom Bruulsema, Director, Northeast Region, IPNI Formed in 2007, the International Plant Nutrition Institute is supported by leading fertilizer manufacturers. Its mission is to promote scientific information on responsible management of plant nutrition. 1

2 Outline 1. GLWQA and IJC 2. 4R Nutrient Stewardship practices 1. Lake Erie P 2. Eastern Canada N 3. Options: Certification? Designation? CCA specialty? 4. 4R Research Fund: Lake Erie P project Slides: available at Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement Agricultural Task Team, Annex 4 Nutrients co chaired by OMAFRA and Ohio Department of Agriculture By February 2016 binational phosphorus objectives, loading targets and allocations starting with Lake Erie. By 2018 phosphorus reduction strategies and domestic action plans [regulatory and non regulatory programs and other measures] designed to meet the nearshore and open water phosphorus objectives and loading targets for Lake Erie. 2

3 The IJC supports 4R but calls for mandatory measures. Lake Erie is being watched closely. ~3 satellite photos per day NOAA Coastwatch 8 Sept :22 pm 3

4 Northwest of Guelph, Ontario 6 April 2014 no-till DISSOLVED P IN RUNOFF AN INVISIBLE RISK Western Lake Erie: DRP trends worsening since David Baker et al., National Center for Water Quality Research, Heidelberg U, Tiffin, OH 4

5 So what could be causing the trend of increased losses of dissolved P? Weather patterns Tillage trends P application Source? Rate? Time? Place? USGS monitoring gauge, Waterville, Ohio, 31 July Crop removal increasing with yield. 2. Application rates falling short of crop removal. 5

6 Ontario s P balance: more manure than in the Lake Erie watershed 48% of Ohio soils test optimum for P Cri cal level Corn & soybeans Maintenance Wheat & alfalfa Limit 26% 48% 26% 6

7 Ontario s cropland has higher soil test P than Ohio s Ohio Ag Retailer survey Lake Erie watershed March 2013 More than half the P fertilizer is broadcast without incorporation within 7 days Soil testing: 90% Grid (2.5 A) 25% Soil type 11% Management zone 6% Variable Rate Application 33% Placement: Planter band 30% Strip till band 4% Incorporation <7 days 16% Incorporation >7 days 50% Timing: Fall 41% Spring 41% Greg LaBarge, Ohio State University Extension 7

8 Placing P in the soil reduces P loss from a single immediate runoff event Concentration of dissolved and total P in runoff from a clay loam soil in North Carolina, from artificial rainfall immediately following application of superphosphate fertilizer. Incorporation was to a depth of 5 inches by rotary tillage following application. Data from Tarkalson and Mikkelson (2004). Less P is lost with more time between broadcast and runoff Concentration of dissolved P in surface runoff from plots cropped to tall fescue during rainfall simulations that occurred 1 to 29 days after broadcast application of triple superphosphate fertilizer (Smith et al., 2007). 8

9 Practice Advantages Limitations S MAP or DAP R rotation removal T fall P broadcast Minimal soil compaction Allows timely planting in spring Low cost fertilizer form Low cost of application Risk of elevated P in runoff in late fall and winter Low N use efficiency S MAP or DAP R rotation removal T spring P broadcast S MAP or fluid APP R one crop removal T spring P 2 x 2 band S MAP or DAP R rotation removal T fall P banded in zone S fluid APP P point injection Minimal soil compaction Better N use efficiency Low cost fertilizer form Low cost of application Low risk of elevated P in runoff Most efficient use of N Less soil P stratification Low risk of elevated P in runoff Maintain residue cover Allows timely planting in spring Less soil P stratification As above Risk of elevated P in spring runoff before incorporation Potential to delay planting Retailer spring delivery capacity Cost and practicality Potential to delay planting Retailer delivery capacity Cost of fluid versus granular P Cost of RTK GPS guidance Cost of new equipment More time required than broadcast As above, plus cost of fluid versus granular P Choice of practice considers both advantages and limitations. Potential 4R Nitrogen Practice definitions for Eastern Canada Level Source Rate Time Place Basic (60 th percentile) Intermediate (80 th percentile) Advanced (95 th percentile) Guaranteed or known analysis + with inhibitors if preplant Ontario Nitrogen Calculator ++ + using tools such as crop sensors, PSNT, Adapt- N or NLOS Spring; not on frozen soil + + Split application, or enhancedefficiency source R practices need regional, evidence based definition Broadcast and incorporated, injected or subsurface band + 9

10 Weather influences corn yield response first 5 years, Elora, Ontario (IPNI-2008-CAN-ON29) EONR 140 to 250 kg/ha Deen, Lauzon, Stewart, & Bruulsema; not yet published. 1 Initial Training and Ongoing Education Nutrient Service Providers, sales, and application staff have undergone an initial training and are able to demonstrate knowledge about 4R Nutrient Stewardship and the 4R Certification Program. 2 Monitoring of 4R implementation Nutrient Service Provider records the recommendation given to the grower customer and track application with annual summary totals of fertilizer products applied on custom applied acres. 3 Nutrient Recommendations and Application Broadcast applications of nitrogen and phosphorus without immediate incorporation are neither made nor recommended unless the NOAA forecast indicates less than a 50% chance of a rainfall event involving more than an inch of rain beginning in the next 12 hours. [or ½ in 24 hours] Criteria are tough! 10

11 A draft guidance on 4R plans for part of the Lake Erie watershed has been initiated. 11

12 Certified Crop Adviser Specialties Proposed for 2015: Sustainability Cover Crops 4R Nutrient Stewardship [Management] Anticipate 200 certified by end of 2016 Performance objectives additional to CCA May have a 50 question exam May raise NM and SWM CEU requirement from 5 to 7 Additional fees; record keeping in Madison, WI 4R Research Fund Lake Erie Watershed Project Evaluating the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Concept and Certification Program in the Western Lake Erie Basin GOAL: to evaluate the specific impacts of the adoption of practices associated with 4R Nutrient Stewardship, and the impact of the 4R Certification Program, on crop productivity and profitability, water quality, and perceptions of growers, nutrient service providers, and residents in the western Lake Erie watershed. 10 collaborators land-river-lake continuum. 12

13 4R Research Fund Lake Erie Watershed Project Monitoring impacts on Lake Erie from 4R practices and the 4R program 1. Kevin King USDA-ARS, Columbus, OH Project lead Edge-of-field research on rate, time and place of P application 2. Mark Williams USDA-ARS, Columbus, OH Edge-of-field research on rate, time and place of P application 3. Laura Johnson Heidelberg University, Tiffin, OH Watershed scale 4R Research Fund Lake Erie Watershed Project Modeling impacts on Lake Erie from 4R practices and the 4R program 4. Carrie Vollmer-Sanders The Nature Conservancy Angola, IN Integration Outreach Triple bottom line 5. Rem Confesor Heidelberg University, Tiffin, OH Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) 6. Joe DePinto LimnoTech, Ann Arbor, MI Western Lake Erie Ecosystem Model (WLEEM) & SWAT 13

14 4R Research Fund Lake Erie Watershed Project To determine the behavioral impact of 4R educational efforts and the 4R Certification Program on the knowledge, beliefs, and management practices of crop growers and nutrient service providers 7. Greg LaBarge Ohio State University Extension, Marion, OH 8. Robyn Wilson Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 9. Brian Roe Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 4R: right means sustainable Building public trust in food and farming 14

15 Summary 4R Nutrient Stewardship is a global concept applicable locally in Ontario and Eastern Canada Lake Erie P we all play a role. Right place, right time. Nitrogen tools to manage for weather 4R Certification, Designation, or Specialty? need to decide collaboratively 4R Research needed for evidence based SRTP Thank You nane.ipni.net 15