Agriculture is on the cusp of a new frontier in sustainability – one that will see farmers improve crop production, increase performance predictability, and protect the planet for future generations. Before I explain this bold prediction in detail, let me start with the simple answer: it’s about the soil.
As farmers have always known, we’re not making more soil any time soon, so taking care of what we have is at the heart of sustainable agriculture. When we invest in soil health – and healthy soil practices – we can address the fundamental dilemma of meeting the growing global demand for food, fiber and fuel while minimizing the environmental impact of crop production.
Over the past several decades, our industry has made incredible advances toward that goal through the development of better seed technologies, improved crop nutrition, and advanced equipment that can drive efficiency through data analytics.
Yet, for all the progress we’ve made, we continue to face an escalating challenge created by variables we cannot control: a changing environment and unpredictable weather patterns. In the past several years, farmers have lost multiple planting or harvest days to short, high-volume weather events.
One of the most effective ways we can alter this equation is to examine and build the resilience of our soils. When we better understand the health of our soils, we can do more to mitigate environmental impacts and improve production.
The good news is that this goal is more achievable than at any time in history. The development of new technologies, including artificial intelligence, enables us to integrate experts’ insights across our industry.
The study of soil water, or atmosphere can now be layered on top of each other to create a more holistic approach toward sustainability.
It is an exciting time for the agriculture industry and the advancement of sustainable practices
Our work toward seed technology, crop nutrition and soil biology can be integrated rather than soiled. It is an exciting time of innovation that will reshape the way we think about sustainable agriculture.
At Nutrien, our Agronomy & Environmental Sciences (AES) team is designed with that model in mind. Our group includes crop protection, seed and nutritional agronomists.
We’ve brought together soil, environmental and atmospheric scientists. We have experts in sustainable systems, digital analytics and computational science.
The integration of these disciplines provides new insights into soil and sustainability in ways that will change the future of agriculture.
Harnessing the Power of the Environment One of Nutrien’s most significant commitments is the continuing collection of soil samples from across North America to fuel our AES team’s research. Each year, we gather close to a million samples from different growing regions, and our database now has nearly 10 million soil samples that are used for analysis and comparison.
By applying advanced computational technology and cross-functional research to this database, we are painting a unique picture of soil health in every growing region of the continent.
We now can track DNA markers in each sample and have greater capabilities to assess the make-up of various soils and their responsiveness to different inputs or environmental conditions.
As this research advances, we are gaining new insights into soil biome, bacteria and micronutrient levels, and the ability of plants to take up phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium. This can support the development of products and practices to increase nutrient-use efficiency and limit environmental loss.
In time, we will be able to provide hyper-local assessments of a farmer’s soil and tailor solutions that address emission management and crop yields. When there is a prospect of two inches of rain in Illinois or a drought in Brazil, we will be able to help farmers adapt to variables that are beyond our control. With our advanced insights, we can work proactively to harness the power of the environment by managing soil health. That holds the promise of more predictable crop performance, even in changing weather conditions.
It is an exciting time for the agriculture industry and for the advancement of sustainable practices. By taking care of the soil beneath our feet, we will be able to do more to protect the air and water around us.
Ultimately, that means healthier crop production and a healthier future for our planet.
