Illinois agriculture and the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association (IFCA) are taking steps to improve the nutrient stewardship practices, all while increasing food production and protecting valuable water resources. The new nutrient stewardship program called “Keep it for the Crop (KIC) by 2025,” seeks to educate the agricultural sector, dedicate significant resources toward research to reduce nutrient losses and enhance nutrient efficiency, educate suppliers and farmers, and measure the adoption of in-field practices to enhance nutrient stewardship in beginning in priority watershed and expanding over years to a state-wide nutrient stewardship program. The program hopes to accomplish these goals by adopting the 4R’s of Nutrient Use: Right Source, Right Rate, Right Time, Right Place. The Illinois Council on Best Management Practices, which includes the Illinois Farm Bureau, Illinois Fertilizer & Chemical Association, Illinois Soybean Association, Illinois Pork Producers and Syngenta Crop, developed the program.
“KIC by 2025” is hosting a conference on Aug. 28, 2012 at the Asmark Agricenter in Bloomington, Ill., to introduce the “KIC by 2025” initiative, talk about the 4R’s of nutrient use, and to discuss changes to the Illinois Fertilizer Act & Nutrient Policy developments. If you are interested in attending the conference, please contact Kevin Runkle, Manager of Regulatory Compliance for the IFCA, by telephone at (309) 827-2774 or via e-mail at [email protected]. The conference itinerary is also available here.