Feeding Life

Nutrient strewardship approach

Right product

Matches fertilzers type to crop needs.

Different crop species have different nutrient requirements and there is a wide range of fertilizers with different profiles to meet these. Product selection takes into account the needs of a particular crop, climate and soil properties, economic considerations and method of application.

Right rate

Matches amount of fertilizers type crop needs.

Understanding the nutrient needs of a crop throughout its growth cycle is the first step to calculating a suitable fertilizer application rate. An excess of nutrients will lead to environmental losses, while an insufficiency will limit crop yield.

Right time

Makes nutrients available when crops needs them.

For optimum yields, sufficient nutrients need to be accessible to a crop as it moves through its various growth stages. But if a nutrient is present in the soil for an extended period prior to crop uptake, it may move outside the root zone or be converted into a less plant-available form. The best timing for fertilizer application is therefore based on consideration of the timing of crop uptake, the dynamics of the soil nutrient supply and the release rates of specific products.

Right place

Keep nutrients where crops can use them.

A plant’s full genetic potential is only achieved when the soil structure allows its roots to grow and exploit the maximum soil volume. A good soil structure ensures the right proportion of voids of different sizes for good rooting conditions and improves the roots’ ability to locate nutrients. With nutrients in the right location within the soil, crops have the best access to them.