The year 2024 marks the tenth anniversary of the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association (IFCA) implementing the 4R Code of Practice. The 4Rs-right source, right rate, right time and right place-are meant to help Illinois farmers apply nutrients in a way that balances economics and environmental stewardship.

A decade after the introduction of the 4Rs, nutrient management remains a priority for soybean growers across the state.

On Sept. 5, the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) will jointly host a 4R Field Talk with IFCA to provide Illinois soybean growers with new tools and insights to expand their environmentally and agronomically sound practices within the 4R Code of Practice.

“We are trying to work with others to produce quality field days rather than a large quantity of them,” said Stephanie Porter, CCA and outreach agronomist at ISA. “We want to make them more meaningful for Illinois growers, which is why we are partnering with organizations like IFCA.”

Dan Schaefer, director of nutrient stewardship at IFCA, will be the main presenter for the 4R Field Talk. Schaefer believes that the collaboration between ISA and IFCA will contribute to advancing Illinois’ nutrient loss-reduction strategy.

“From our perspective as retailers, making the right recommendations to our soybean grower customers — and understanding their concerns about conservation practices like tillage, strip-till and cover crops — are the sorts of things that we need to do together as collective organizations serving Illinois growers,” Schaefer said.

“Partnering with ISA for the 4R Field Talk brings both organizations together so we can help each other to make nutrient loss reduction happen in Illinois,” Schaefer said.

The 4R Field Talk will take place at the Illinois Farm Progress Show site (4275 E Mound Rd, Decatur, IL 62526), at ISA’s cover crop demo plots, which Porter explained are in their second year.

“We didn’t have a demo plot in this location before,” Porter said.

“We appreciate Richland Community College and Farm Progress for their willingness to let us utilize their plot, not only during the Farm Progress Show, but also during alternate years.”

What Soybean Growers Can Expect

This collaborative event is the fruit of feedback from Illinois soybean growers in years past. “This is something that our soybean growers have requested. They have asked us in our year-end surveys for more hands-on, demonstration-type field days,” Porter said.

Attendees can look forward to a morning of informative demonstrations and conversation on cover crop management, nutrient placement and various cover crop seeding applications. Lunch will also be included.

“This will be more of a demonstration than a presentation-type event,” Porter said. “I would recommend growers come with questions, as it will be a conversational environment.”

At the 4R Field Talk scheduled for Sept. 5 in Decatur, attendees can look forward to a morning of informative demonstrations and conversation on cover crop management, nutrient placement and various cover crop seeding applications.

ILSoyAdvisor aims to help Illinois soybean farmers learn the latest agronomic information by providing tailored advice tailored advice through regional summer field events.

Topics Will Span Species, Drones, More

Jim Isermann, an independent ag consultant working with ISA, will kick off the event with a conversation on cover crop management.

“We will be walking through the plots and talking through the different cover crop species options,” Isermann said. “This is an opportunity to see cover crops that we aren’t used to in Illinois.”

“In Illinois, we typically use cereal, wheat, rye and barley,” Isermann said. “We will walk through some not-so-common ones, including legumes, brassicas and summer annuals. We even have a plot that’s part of a wheat rotation, so we can discuss that, too.”

Although the right tool might not be part of the 4Rs, having a variety of tools in your toolbox can make all the difference as you practice good nutrient stewardship. Some of those tools include equipment, which is ever-evolving to meet the demands of the agriculture industry.

Schaefer will continue the cover crop conversation with a demonstration featuring a crop application using an air seeder and drone.

Regarding the “right place” in the 4Rs, application and soil preservation are key. “It’s important that we keep soil in place when applying nutrients so that we can keep them where we place them on the field,” Schaefer said.

This event aligns closely with efforts to protect the Lake Decatur watershed, Schaefer noted. “On the fertilizer side for the Lake Decatur watershed, one of the issues is phosphorus and soil getting into the lake.”

Schaefer stressed that it’s vital to protect this body of water, as it is the primary source of drinking water for the city of Decatur. “We need to protect that water source in every way that’s practical.”

“During the field talk, we will demonstrate how to apply dry fertilizer without stripping it, placing it under the soil without disturbing the crop residue,” said Schafer. “It’s important the soil stays covered to prevent the soil from blowing or washing away.”

Schaefer looks forward to putting the Yetter 4000 Nutrient-Pro Coulter to work during the field day. “This tool will inject dry fertilizer under the crop residue and soil surface with minimal disturbance to the soil.”

The 4R Field Talk is an opportunity for Illinois soybean growers to see the equipment in action and converse with trusted experts who are eager to help growers adopt emerging practices that complement or enhance their existing conservation practices.
Unlike the demonstrations at farm shows that feel years away from adoption, the 4R Field Talk will give Illinois soybean growers a variety of tools they can bring back and implement on their farms in the upcoming crop year.

“We are showing practical solutions to prevent nutrient and soil loss,” Schaefer said.

ISA encourages all Illinois growers to take advantage of this opportunity for hands-on learning.

Date: Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024

Address: Farm Progress Show Site 4275 E Mound Rd, Decatur, IL 62526

Agenda for the Day:

9:00 a.m. Welcome with Abigail Peterson, ISA

9:15 a.m. Cover Crops with Jim Isermann, Independent Ag Consultant for ISA

10:00 a.m. Break

10:15 a.m. Cover Crop Seeding Applications with Dan Schaefer, IFCA

11:00 a.m. Reducing Tile Nitrate Loss with 4R Management and Cover Crops with Lowell Gentry, University of Illinois

11:30 a.m. Corn Management and Nutrient Placement with Dan Schaefer, IFCA

12:00 p.m. Lunch

12:30 p.m. An IFCA Update with KJ Johnson, IFCA President

To register for this Field Talk, visit https://bit.ly/OFFD_September5th. For more information on all upcoming field days, visit fieldadvisor.org/on-farm-field-days/