The Manitoba government is introducing a new calculator for fertilizer efficiency as part of its continuous efforts to promote the agricultural sector and assist farmers in becoming more resilient to climate change.

“Manitoba farm producers are great stewards of the land in the use of sustainable agricultural practices and work tirelessly every day to produce high-quality, affordable food while protecting the environment. Our government recognizes producers face historically high fertilizer prices, highly variable grain prices, increased focus on environmental impacts of fertilizer use, and the need to integrate, recalibrate and optimize all these variables to maintain farm profitability. We created this calculator so that producers, agronomists, and industry partners can quickly and easily assess the financial benefits of improving fertilizer management practices,” Agriculture Minister, Derek Johnson, recently announced.

The calculator offers application recommendations to improve fertilizer application on farms using field-specific soil test findings and scientific analysis. The calculator contrasts the fertilizer plans of a producer with the greatest and least cost-effective fertilizer application costs per acre and net profit per acre. Additionally, it offers a score on an easy-to-use dashboard for cost-effectiveness, greenhouse gas efficiency, optimum profitability, and yield.

The minister said that the new calculator for determining fertilizer efficiency shows the benefits of adopting 4R Nutrient Stewardship. He also mentioned that the Manitoba government recently signed a fourth memorandum of understanding with Fertilizer Canada and Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) to reaffirm its commitment to the science-based nutrient management framework.

The Excel-based version of the calculator is now available at: www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/farm-management/production-economics/fertilizer-cost.html.

A mobile-friendly, web-based version is in development and will be available in the coming months, said Johnson.