Farming Smarter conference continues in Lethbridge

The Farming Smarter conference continued for its second day in Lethbridge with keynote speakers on hand including one from the Alberta Wheat and Barley Commission. This year Jeremy Boychyn with the commission explained what the 4R Nutrient Stewardship is and how farmers can utilize fertilizer better. Boychyn says there are four different concepts of how people can get the best use out of their fertilizer.

“The way 4R breaks down is you have the right rate, the right source, the right timing, and the right placement. So when we look at fertilizer management and we focus on those four different R’s, we can begin to ask questions of, am I using this nutrient and this fertilizer in a way that is going to be efficient,” said Jeremy Boychyn, Agronomy Research Extension Specialist, Alberta Wheat and Barley Commission. “When we look at something like the right rate, we are making sure that we are taking soil samples, we are assessing how much of that nutrient we have in the soil already. We can make the most appropriate recommendations to reach the yield potential of that field without applying too much, but without shorting ourselves if we don’t apply enough.”

Boychyn says almost all farmers are implementing 4R Nutrient Stewardship practices.