IPNI REGIONAL REVIEW Latin America- Southern Cone

Key Regional Issues TACTICALhighlights PLAN & priorities • Agriculture is an important 4R Stewardship economic driver for regional IPNI has developed networks of fertilization experi- Dr. Fernando O. García economies. ments documenting nutrient deficiencies in southern IPNI Director, • Increasing global demand for oil Santa Fe (Argentina), northern Cordoba (Argentina), Latin America - and eastern Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivia) working Southern Cone seeds and cereals has prompted with farmer organizations such as CREA. an expansion of the cultivated [email protected] area, and resulted in major soil Fertilization experiments with the Universidad de la management and crop production República supported the development of improved challenges throughout the region. potassium fertilizer recommendations in Uruguay. • Accelerated soil degradation Nutrient Education impacts chemical, physical, and IPNI successfully partners with research organizations, biological conditions because educational institutions, private companies and of negative nutrient balances, farmer associations, in developing technical meetings and monocropping (continuous and publications to improve nutrient management soybean). The cultivation of across the region. marginal lands results in wind and Continuous update of the regional website and water erosion, soil compaction, quarterly publication of the IPNI newsletter: soil organic matter depletion, and Informaciones Agronómicas de Hispanoamérica, nutrient loss. which disseminates the message of 4R Nutrient Stewardship across the region. • There is wide use of no-tillage cultivation, with adoption ranging Improved Fertilizer Recommendations from 60 to 90%. Soil test calibration is being updated and • Increasing acknowledgement of compiled to contribute to the adoption of better the importance of plant nutrition fertilizer recommendations by farmers and for sustainable crop production consultants. and the need for adequate nutrient balances for high-yielding systems. Closing Yield Gaps • At least half of total cropped land 4R nutrient management needs better adoption into current soil/crop management practices to is farmed under annual leases, reduce existing crop yield gaps. Current yield impacting short and long-term gaps (attainable vs. current yields under dryland) fertilizer decisions. are estimated at 30 to 40% for maize, wheat, and • A low “fertilization culture” still soybean in Argentina. exists in the main agricultural areas Enhancing Sustainability of Bolivia and to a lesser extent in Argentina. Negative nutrient balances in cropland pose a challenge for long-term agronomic sustainability. • Erratic and variable support to There is lack of research-based information on farmers from public research and pathways of nutrient losses to the environment extension institutions. and techniques for minimizing these losses. examples of IMPLEMENTING THE TACTICAL GOALS 4R Nutrient Stewardship: Improved Recommendations: Use of balanced fertilization has resulted in positive responses Review of research done in the last 20 years has allowed in crop production and farm profitability in regions with improved calibration of soil tests for P in maize and soybean low historic fertilizer use such as southern Santa and of N in maize for more precise fertilization. Fe and southeastern Cordoba (Argentina), and eastern Santa Cruz (Bolivia). Closing Yield Gaps: Balanced fertilization with N, P, and S has Activities on the IPNI Working Group on Global shown to improve soil chemical and Maize and Soybean Systems contribute to biological properties after 12 years in the a better understanding of the interactions Nutrition Network CREA Southern Santa between enhanced crop and nutrient Fe. IPNI co-authored a peer-reviewed management to further boost grain yields. paper on “Long-term phosphorus Outcomes have been widely presented in fertilization of wheat, soybean, and meetings, articles, and peer-reviewed papers. maize on Mollisols: Soil test trends, critical levels, and balances” (Eur. J. Agron. Enhancing Sustainability: 2018, 96:87-95). Updated regional nutrient balances have been Potassium fertilization studies in Uruguay have developed and used for discussions with farmer redefined soil test critical levels where crops will be and industry associations, and government agencies, expected to respond to potash additions. Technical articles, especially in Argentina and Bolivia. brochures, peer-review publications, and meetings have been IPNI co-authored a peer-reviewed technical analysis used to disseminate the results of these studies. on “Soil Quality Impacts of Current South American Nutrient Education: Agricultural Practices” (Sustainability, 2015, 7:2213-2242). The IPNI Global Maize and the Soybean Systems projects IPNI co-published (with INTA) the book “Soil Fertility and Crop contribute fundamental information on greenhouse gas Fertilization”, a 904-page publication providing state of the art emissions from maize in Argentina and the contribution of information on nutrient dynamics and fertilizer management, biological N fixation in soybean production for farmers and with emphasis on regional agricultural conditions. policy makers. The biennial Fertility Symposium co-organized with Fertilizar AC at Rosario (Argentina), gathers 900 leading agronomists to discuss the latest research results and to review how to implement 4R Nutrient Stewardship in the Pampas region. EXAMPLES OF IPNI IMPACT Finding Sustainable Fertilizer Use on the Pampas

The Challenge responses to N, P, S, and micronutrients; Long-term teamwork between producers, consultants, and researchers nformation on nutrient evaluating diagnostic methodologies; and from CREA-SSF, IPNI, ASP, University of Rosario, University of Buenos t management in this central identifying attainable yields. Aires, and INTA have found increased cumulative grain production of 27 I to 102% depending on initial soil fertility at the site. Pampas region has not been updated The Results for many years. Most of the previous The Network has helped our understanding research has fallen behind and the long- of the effects of fertilization on the term effects of nutrient management sustainability of the main grain cropping in the currently recommended crop systems of the central Pampas region. rotations has not been studied at all. The Solution NPS fertilization has provided for: The Regional Consortium of Agricultural • higher, more stable yields, improved Experimentation (CREA) in Southern crop water use efficiency, increased Sante Fe is an important on-farm gross margins, organic C, and microbial research partner for IPNI. Nearly 20 activity. Latin America-Southern Cone Program years of development into a network of The Network outreach has been Regional Website: lasc.ipni.net on-farm trials has spread to influence extensive through field days, seminars, IPNI Website: ipni.net nearly 3.5 million ha. Initial objectives presentations, scientific journals, technical IPNI E-mail: [email protected] included: finding direct and residual papers, and the national press.

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