b'ROUNDTABLE Lowering Emissions with Proper Fertilizer UsePotato greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced through proper fertilizer usage.BY: ASHLEY ROBINSONERIKA WAGNER Editors note: This interview has beenSS: How do you determine the right edited for length and clarity. source when it comes to fertilizer?potato crop manager atMS: Obviously across Canada, the right Yara North AmericaSpud Smart (SS): What is 4Rnutrient source will likely differ. The type Nutrient Stewardship? of fertilizer that would be best suited for McKenzie Smith (MS): Its prettya canola crop in Western Canada on dry straightforward in terms of what it means.soil versus a corn crop in central Canada, MCKENZIE SMITH It is a sustainable way of applying youror more specifically to this conversation, nutrients and it includes the right source,potato production in Atlantic Canada.director of stewardshipwhich means applying the balancedThe source is what you need to and regulatory affairs at Fertilizer Canada supply of all nutrients that are needed bydetermine first in terms of what is needed the cropmacronutrients like N, P andto be applied to that specific crop, and K, along with micronutrients.then what type of source depends on Right rate is the amount of thosesoil and climatic conditions to best nutrients that you would apply. It isoptimize nutrient uptake. Additionally, considering organic sources like manureits important to ensure a balanced supply and nutrients that are already in the soil,of nutrients, so youre not adding more taking a soil sample and then addingnutrients or something thats already fertilizer to ensure that the right amountsthere in the soil or already applied with of each necessary nutrient is available toan organic source like manure but the crop in the right proportions.looking at what is missing and making And then right time and right place,sure its present in your prescription. pretty self-explanatory, applying nutrientsTaking into account how much ofat a time when the crop can use themthose nutrients that youre looking at, are best, during the certain crop growthavailable in the soil, and sources applied timeframes or avoiding before a bigwith fertilizer, then you can determine rainfall event. And then right place, samehow much of those nutrients are needed to idea. Applying those nutrients subsurfacebalance supply Looking at what is in the below the soil next to the root type, sosoil by taking a soil sample is one of a few that the nutrients can be optimized by theways that you can determine the right rate crop and taken up, and in turn reducingto apply, especially after a crop rotation. the potential loss of those nutrients to our environment through volatilization to air,SS: What impact does potato or through runoff to water.production have on greenhouse gas emissions?Erika Wagner (EW): Globally, agriculture ROUNDTABLE SUPPORTED BY:36SPUDSMART.COM Summer 2022'