Soil Fertility 101
Back-to-Basics is an educational resource aimed at teaching growers, and those who influence fertilizer management decisions, about the critical importance of proper soil fertility. The idea is to minimize save-now decisions that result in pay-more-later consequences.
Successful growers base input decisions on site-specific facts that help assure they get optimum returns on dollars invested in inputs such as fertilizer. Most profitable farmers have lower costs per unit of production because they attain higher crop yields while controlling total costs.
Back-to-Basics illustrates a critical lesson: No matter what the economic or agronomic environment, growers need to make a profitable crop production program a top priority. Proper soil fertility is the foundation on which high yields are built.
Why was Back-to-Basics created?
In nationwide analysis of soil tests in 1997 and 2001, the Potash & Phosphate Institute, now International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI) discovered evidence that nearly half of the nation's soils were testing average to below average for both P and K. At the same time, commodity prices were at historic lows, causing many farmers to cut back on their fertilizer inputs. The need for this educational initiative arose when it became apparent that fertilizer cutbacks were becoming a trend in a time when soil fertility levels were appearing to erode.
Why is the Mosaic Company championing this initiative?
As a leader in the fertilizer industry, The Mosaic Company is ideally situated to deliver this important message to the market place. Through our existing relationships and considerable investment, we can spread the word among the media, fertilizer dealers, crop consultants, county agents, university extension personnel, ag lenders and farm managers, not to mention, growers.
How does the program work?
Since 2000, the Back-to-Basics program has included the following components:
- Media tours to national trade and grower publications
- Press releases and feature articles
- Web site at www.back-to-basics.net
- Direct marketing (ad slicks, radio scripts, statement stuffers and reminder postcards) that target fertilizer dealers, crop consultants, university extension personnel, ag lenders, and farm managers
- Advertising in key trade publications highlighting the benefits of the Back-to-Basics program
- Grower and dealer tradeshows
