The Feed

By Chris Henney, Ohio AgriBusiness Association

I doubt there are many (if any) readers who aren’t familiar with the Lake Erie algal blooms and the general challenges these blooms have created for farmers and ag retailers throughout Ohio.

The Micronutrient Manufacturers Association (MMA) announced plans to enter into a partnership with The Fertilizer Institute (TFI).  Under the partnership agreement, members of the MMA will become TFI members effective January 1, 2019.  The MMA will continue to operate as a committee within TFI with regularly scheduled meetings.   

If there is such a thing as a typical year in the agricultural industry it would run on cycles, pre-planting, planting, pre-harvest and harvest. Each cycle requires meticulous planning and many times this can include nutrient management planning. I am a firm believer that any nutrient management decision should include a “4R” decision by default. When someone makes a nutrient management decision while focusing on an overall 4R strategy, I believe they will be more successful all around. 

One fact that consistently surprises people is that fertilizer is on the move all year round. Year after year, more people learn that our industry supplies nutrients for crops that nourish a more prosperous world. No less than half of all food grown around the world today is made possible through the use of commercial fertilizer.