Newswise — Sept. 5, 2017—Soil health is a key to growing food in a sustainable manner. The 4R nutrient stewardship program is part of that. 4R is an agricultural industry guideline that refers to “right source, at the right rate, at the right time, and in the right place.” The International Certified Crop Advisor (ICCA) Program started the 4R Nutrient Management Specialist certification in 2015 to allow CCAs who focus their work on nutrient management to enhance their knowledge and skills.
The “Lab to Field: CCA 4R Nutrient Management and Soil Health Working Together” symposium planned at the Managing Global Resources for a Secure Future ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting in Tampa, FL will cover this important topic. The symposium will be held Tuesday, October 24, 2017, at 8:00 AM. The meeting is sponsored by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and the Soil Science Society of America.
“Certified Crop Advisors are uniquely trained to work with growers to develop sustainability and 4R-based nutrient management plans,” says Luther Smith, Director of Professional Development and Business Relations for the American Society of Agronomy. “The symposium is specifically designed to help CCAs with the 4R Nutrient Management Specialist certification to expand their knowledge and meet their continuing education requirements.”
A panel of growers currently implementing the 4R standards will discuss their practices and how they measure and monitor soil health. They will also discuss how to interpret soil health testing results. The panel features growers of tomatoes, citrus, corn, and soybean.
Kevin King, USDA-ARS, will discuss practices of nutrient management plans to reduce phosphorus runoff. Topics include applying organic fertilizers at phosphorus-based rates, soil testing, and other practices. He will also discuss how water management practices may be effective at decreasing phosphorus loss.
Sally Flis, The Fertilizer Institute, will moderate a roundtable discussion during the session.
For more information about the 2017 meeting, visit https://www.acsmeetings.org/. Media are invited to attend the conference. Pre-registration by Oct. 10, 2017 is required. Visit https://www.acsmeetings.org/media for registration information. For information about the “Lab to Field: CCA 4R Nutrient Management and Soil Health Working Together” symposium, visit https://scisoc.confex.com/crops/2017am/webprogram/Session16889.html.
To speak with one of the scientists, contact Susan V. Fisk, 608-273-8091, [email protected] to arrange an interview.
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