WG02 – Nutrient Stewardship: Performance and Environment

Report -2013 Staff Meeting

Membership & Objectives• Tom Bruulsema, Fang Chen, Sudarshan Dutta, Tom Jensen, Rob

Mikkelsen, Rob Norton(Co-Chair), Valter Casarin, Cliff Snyder (Co-Chair), Shihua Tu. Paul Fixen, liaison

• Improve fertilizer management and environmental quality by developing key publications

• Develop proactive positions on fertilizer management for our audiences

• 2012/2013 New focus on performance indicators; all staff expected to contribute depending on the needs of the issue being addressed.

Sustainabiity/Performance Indicators

4R Performance Indicators: should be scalable (like nutrient balance) from field, farm, county, state/province, country• Snyder/Norton/Fixen - Develop white paper on Performance

Indicators – PFP (kg crop/kg nutrient) – crop yield emphasis– PNB (nutrient removal/use) – N, P, K

• Norton lead – get regional directors replies – Determine data available on nutrient input and offtake by crop, year,

national/state/province/county/other scale;– Emphasize necessary linkage of food security, performance, and our

three pillars: economic, environmental, social– Rely on framework, info, approaches in Fixen et al. IPNI/IFA chapter

Goal: show improvement over time; benchmark current indicators

Publication of data on indicators• Cavigelli, M.A., S.J. Del Grosso, M.A. Liebig, C.S. Snyder, P.E. Fixen, R.T. Venterea, A.B.

Leytem, J.E. McLain, and D.B. Watts. 2012. US agricultural nitrous oxide emissions: context, status, and trends. Front Ecol Environ 2012; 10(10): 537䱚 , doi:10.1890/120054

• Norton, R.M. 2013. Agronomic Practices and Input-use efficiency. In “Preparing Agriculture for Climate Change”. (MS Kang, S Banga, eds) (in production).

• Fixen, P., F. Brentrup, T. Bruulsema, F. Garcia, R. Norton, and S. Zingore. 2013. Nutrient/fertilizer use efficiency (N/FUE): measurement. Current situation and trends. IFA publications (in production).

• Phillips, S., and R.M. Norton. 2012. Global wheat production and fertilizer use. Better Crops, 96 (3), 4-6.

• Norton RM, Howie P and Walker C. 2012 Soil test values and nutrient balances from a long term fertilizer experiment. "Capturing Opportunities and Overcoming Obstacles in Australian Agronomy". Edited by I. Yunusa. Proceedings of 16th Australian Agronomy Conference 2012, 14-18 October 2012, Armidale, NSW.

• OTHERS?

Progress in improving nutrient efficiency

12% increase in N fertilizer use51% increase in N efficiency

Since 1975: Data sources:

USDA Ag Chem Use Survey & Annual Crop Production.

197540 kg grain/kg N

200870 kg grain/kg N

Sera-17 Notes

• Selected notes relevent to IPNI interests revised with reference to 4R stewardship

– Rob Mikkelsen to lead– Timeline– Articles shared around the work group.

Environotes = Stewardship Specifics

• ie – how to look after nutrients

• 16 revised & referenced in currnet series

Publications Review“Facts from Our Environment” – 13 sections• Fertilizer Basics• Trends and Needs in food

production• Fertilizers and the

Environment.• Balancing nutrient budgets• Nitrogen & the environment• Sources of N for plants• Sustaining a productive

agriculture

• Animal Manures and the environment

• Legumes and the environment• Phosphorus and the

environment• Soil testing and the

environment• Irrigation, water use efficiency

and the environment• References

• Will choose 5 from ~150 Q and A, ask each staff to review, update• Post on website on rotating basis, as question(s) of the week

• Report on relationship between nutrient management and the biodiversity of farmland weeds: biodiversity indexes

– Fang Chen –(Use of 4R practices to improve the environment in • Replace “guesstimated” ranges in GHG emissions associated

with contrasting 4R management scenarios, with hard data (when available) in fact sheet by Snyder on Fertilizer N BMPs...global warming;

– develop better explanations of differences in GHG emissions with contrasting scenarios presented in current fact sheet

• A "tool box" of fertilizer management practices could be developed relative to their impacts on environmental issues.

• Slide set on groundwater nitrate issues in California, and provide case study info (Norton and Mikkelsen)

• Links to global Long term fertilizer studies (LTAR )– Maybe look to future integrated monitoring

1. What are the primary objectives/goals of your workgroup.

• Assess the efficiency and effectiveness through which nutrients are used across the globe for healthy food production. We know that meeting food security goals does not have to compromise the quality of the environment – and best management practices consider both these issues.

2. How does this workgroup relate to the mission of IPNI?

• Responsible management is about balancing nutrient input and outputs and this workgroup is gleaning data from the scientific literature to better understand how food production and environmental goals can be balanced.

What are some of the notable accomplishments (an example or two), or what plans are in place for accomplishing things? (esp. for the newer workgroups)

• Our group has just completed 16 Stewardship Specifics – short notes that identify issues and solutions at the interface between agriculture and the environment.

• We can see improvement in the improvement in nutrient management indices for fertilizer use in corn production in the US mid-west. Within the past decade or two we have seen increases in the amount of grain produced per unit of N used by about 30% - so that means that growers are producing more with less. If you look at the balance, almost as much N is now being removed in the grain as is being applied to the crop.

• There are challenges in other regions to raise the productivity by using nutrients and cropping system management and at the same time balancing input and offtake.

When will these anticipated goals be accomplished?

• Improvements in efficiency will come through matching nutrient source, rate, time and place. Food production systems evolve, so the goals will be dynamic with new technologies, new or old production regions and changing conditions. Efficiency and effectiveness must both be considered – as good food and a good environment are the one goal.

Is there a specific geographic importance to these activities (a few examples of why this workgroup is important would be nice/

• There are challenges in both developed and developing countries. In all regions the challenge is to increase food production, as well as meeting economic, environmental and social demands.

• Any additional items you think would be of interest to a viewer.•

Other Business

• Quarterly WG Chairs meetings– notes to be disseminated

• Tasks & Timelines to take home