4R Nutrient Stewardship.

Agricultural production strategies that best combine the economic, social, and environmental expectations of various stakeholder groups can be called “best management practices”. The International Plant Nutrition Institute works in many countries to develop and disseminate fertilizer best management practices (FBMPs). Fertilizer use BMPs can be aptly described as the application of “4R Nutrient Stewardship”, which is applying the right fertilizer source at the right rate, right time, and in the right place. These four “rights” comprehensively convey how fertilizer applications are managed. Determining what is “right”, however, depends on site-specific factors including soil, climate, crop, management system, and logistics. One objective of this presentation is to discuss the application of scientific principles to the development and adaptation of FBMPs to suit local conditions at the practical level while remaining focused on sustainability goals.