Fertilizer use | Expert concerned about nutrient runoff
Nitrogen use on prairie farms continues to rise as growers across the West look to boost crop production and increase revenue.
Statistics Canada’s fertilizer shipments survey shows the amount of nitrogen shipped to western Canadian markets increased by about 30 percent during the six-year period ending June 2012.
Total nitrogen shipments to the Prairies in 2011-12 were pegged at more than 2.25 million tonnes, up from roughly 1.73 million tonnes in 2006-07.
Statistics for 2012-13 were not available.
Erik Magnussen, a spokesperson with Statistics Canada’s livestock, aquaculture and food statistics branch, said the figures published in the fertilizer shipments survey do not correspond exactly with the amount of actual nitrogen that is applied to western Canadian cropland each year.
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But they do provide a close estimate.
“That’s a measure of how much was shipped… but it doesn’t necessarily mean for sure that the farmer at the end used it all,” Magnussen said.
“It’s not an equivalent (to usage) but it’s the best that we have…. This is what disappeared into the market.”
The fertilizer shipments survey is based on data provided by the Canadian fertilizer industry.
It accounts for various forms of nitrogen contained in seven different fertilizer products ranging from NH3 ammonia (82-0-0) and urea (46-0-0) to monammonium phosphate (11-52-0) and diammonium phosphate (18-46-0).
Figures contained in the survey also show a 14 percent increase in phosphorus shipments over the same six-year period.
Fertilizer use usually fluctuates with commodity prices.
As grain prices rise, nutrient applications generally increase.
But increased fertilizer use does not always translate into more grain production. Under certain conditions, crop nutrient uptake is hindered by environmental factors.
Nutrients that are not used by plants can contribute to nutrient runoff, eutrophication of sloughs, lakes and rivers and a general reduction in ground water quality.
Officials at the Global Institute for Water Security (GIWS) at the University of Saskatchewan have already determined that water quality in Saskatchewan’s largest man-made reservoir, Lake Diefenbaker, is deteriorating. Phosphorus levels are elevated and algal blooms have been observed.
Based on preliminary research, scientists believe that 90 percent of the phosphorus that flows into the lake each year is retained.
Upstream from the reservoir, some parts of the South Saskatchewan River already have phosphorus loads 10 times higher than what scientists would expect to find in a healthy ecosystem.
Nutrient levels in lakes and rivers can originate from a variety of sources including urban waste water, upstream agriculture and the natural environment.
One of the institute’s priorities is to understand how much these sources contribute to total nutrient loads and how they can be more effectively managed.
Helen Baulch, a professor and water quality expert with GIWS, said conditions over the past few years have been conducive to high nutrient runoff.
“The really wet conditions definitely lead to higher nutrient runoff,” she said.
Baulch said excess nitrogen use and nutrient runoff might be responsible for increased algal growth on prairie ponds and sloughs.
“It’s a pretty hotly debated topic among scientists whether it’s phosphorus or nitrogen that’s the root cause (of algal growth) but in all likelihood, both have some role.”
Researchers have determined that a disproportionately high amount of nutrient runoff related to agriculture may be originating from small areas that are not well managed.
“It’s important for farmers to realize that a very small area can contribute an awful lot to nutrients loads…,” she said.
Agricultural operations that take place near streams or on steeply sloped areas, for example, should be managed with greater care.
The Canadian fertilizer industry is taking steps aimed at reducing nutrient losses and is encouraging efficient fertilizer use among farmers and agricultural retailers.
Speaking earlier this year in Lethbridge, Clive Graham, vice-president of strategy and alliances with the Canadian Fertilizer Institute, said the industry is not simply aiming to sell more fertilizer.
“Canada is a mature market for fertilizer,” he said.
“Most large scale farmers in Canada use fertilizer. We’re not trying to grow the market. We’re trying to ensure that farmers are able to apply their fertilizer in a sustainable way so that the public can see that they’re doing the right thing for the environment.”
In a recent interview, Graham said the industry continues to promote the concept of 4R nutrient stewardship as the best way to minimize nutrient losses and improve nutrient use efficiency.
The 4 Rs in the 4R nutrient stewardship program refer to using the right fertilizer, applied at the right rate at the right time and the right place.
Graham referred to a memorandum of understanding that was signed in Manitoba earlier this year.
That agreement, involving the CFI, the Manitoba government and Keystone Agricultural Producers, promotes the responsible use of fertilizers and is aimed at helping Manitoba meet environmental objectives related to the province’s water resources.
Similar initiatives are underway in other parts of the country, Graham added.
“Obviously, there’s a great deal of interest in reducing nutrient losses… and we believe that 4R nutrient stewardship is a good way to maximize efficient use of fertilizers and reduce losses into the environment,” he said.
“The Canadian fertilizer industry does well when farmers do well and our industry depends on farmers making net returns from using fertilizers,” he added.
