Agrible developing new program in cooperation with the IFCA

The President of the IFCA, Jean Payne, said: “We are combining the stewardship commitment of Illinois fertilizer dealers and crop advisers to implement 4R practices with Agrible’s ability to capture this information and document continued progress over time.

“We will be able to demonstrate the progress that Illinois agriculture is making to reduce nutrient losses and to ensure that these practices support a sustainable, profitable future for nutrient use in Illinois crop production.”

By 2025, the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy (INLRS) will require nitrogen and phosphorus losses to be reduced by 15% and 25%, respectively, in order to improve water quality in Illinois and in the water that leaves Illinois and reaches the Gulf of Mexico. The INLRS was launched in 2015, and was developed cooperatively by state and federal agencies, agricultural groups, water treatment and water supply officials, environmental groups and university scientists.

These groups work alongside one another in order to define and implement practices and technologies that will reduce nutrient losses from multiple sources, including not just agriculture, but also wastewater treatment facilities and storm water runoff.

The CEO of Brandt in Springfield, Karl Barnhart, said: “This program provides useful metrics and tools to both retailers and growers to track the tenants of the 4Rs and enables retailers to be more valuable to their growers.

“Agrible recognises the critical role that the retailer plays in grower relationships. The retailer must be successful if the grower is to be successful, and vice versa.”

Barnhart added that Illinois is ahead of the game in terms of the agricultural industry self-policing itself. Despite the fact the 4R effort is voluntary, a significant amount is being accomplished by both retailers and growers in terms of compliance and possibly heading future regulation off at the pass.

The retailer said: “A lot is being accomplished on local levels throughout the state.

“But we need a larger perspective in order to get the big picture. This IFCA and Agrible platform has no boundaries.”

Read the article online at: https://www.worldfertilizer.com/environment/25042018/agrible-developing-new-program-in-cooperation-with-the-ifca/