Fertilizer Best Management Practices (FBMP)
In the current context of food insecurity, of tight fertilizer markets and of increasing focus on environmental issues, it is urgent for the fertilizer industry and its partners to take necessary measures to maximize the benefits of fertilizer use and to minimize the negative impacts associated with its misuse, over-use or under-use. It is hoped that the development and promotion of FBMPs adapted to local conditions will help improve food supply and farmer's income, mitigate the environmental footprint of fertilizer use, and reduce, if not eliminate, negative reactions against fertilizer use from other stakeholders. The target is to (i) agree on common basic scientific principles of FBMPs and on indicators for measuring their performance, (ii) develop FBMPs tailored to the site- and crop- specific conditions of selected countries and (iii) encourage farmers to adopt FBMPs in the selected countries.
Through IFA the industry has issued a " Global Assessment of the Situation of FBMPs " and a paper on the " Future Strategy of the Fertilizer Industry on FBMPs ," and the " Global "4R" Nutrient Stewardship Framework for Developing and Delivering FBMPs." A portal with the domain names www.sustainablecropnutrition.info , www.fbmp.org and www.fbmp.info has been developed and open to the public.
FBMPs concepts and initiatives developed in some countries are:
The Australian Cracking the Nutrient Code
The New Zealander Code of Practice for Nutrient Management with emphasis on fertilizer use
The French Code of Reference for Integrated Farming
The European Integrated Farming Framework by the European Initiative for Sustainable Development in Agriculture (EISA)
The UK Whole Farm Nutrient Plan
The Fertilizer Institute (TFI)/Potash and Phosphate Institute (PPI) Fertilizer Product Stewardship (USA)
What are FBMPs?
Fertilizer best management practices (FBMPs) are agricultural production techniques and practices developed through scientific researches and verified in farmers fields to maximize economic, social and environmental benefits.
FBMP is aimed at managing the flow of nutrients in the course of producing affordable and healthy food in a sustainable manner that protect the environment and conserve natural resources at the same time profitable to producers.
With FBMPs, farmers implement under specific site, crop and soil conditions, the concepts and elements of balanced fertilization, site-specific nutrient management (SSNM), integrated plant nutrient management (IPNM),among others. On a broader scale, FBMPs are components of product stewardship and integrated farming.
Through FBMPs, the benefits that can be derived from fertilizers are maximized while the losses and negative effects of over/under/or mis -use of fertilizers are minimized.
IFA FBMP : Papers from – “Fertilizer Best Management Practices: General Principles, Strategy for their Adoption and Voluntary Initiatives vs Regulations”
- J. Lammel. Fertilizer best management practices in the context of product stewardship
- L. Cissé Balanced fertilization for sustainable use of plant nutrients
- R.J. Buresh and C. Witt Site-specific nutrient management
- E.Barak and S. Raban. "Teaspoon feeding": precise plant nutrition through advanced application methods
- J. Ryan Fertilizer best management practices: what level of adaptation to local conditions is realistic in a developing country context?
- C. Drummond Integrated farming and integrated plant nutrient management