Reigning in the Rumor Mill

Despite what you may be hearing, there is absolutely ZERO truth to ag retailers or farmers getting tickets, fines, being jailed, or having stop use orders issued against them for applying fertilizer this fall. 

We have tracked down every rumor that has been reported to IFCA to confirm its falsehood, and we also talked with our state regulatory agencies to confirm that there are no enforcement actions taking place with regard to nitrogen application.  Any enforcement actions taken by regulatory agencies follows a process that is outlined in state law.  The rumors are not consistent with how the enforcement process works in Illinois (thank goodness). 

Our regulatory agencies in Illinois have never issued injunctions regarding the legal use of fertilizers for production agriculture.  There is currently no law regarding the timing or rate of application of fertilizers used in production agriculture.  We want to keep it that way. 

So if you hear any of these rumors, please try to stop them at the source.  We believe a lot of the anxiety that dealers and farmers are feeling starts with the weather not cooperating to allow the season to get into full swing. 

There is also confusion and a lack of awareness that the Illinois Agronomy Handbook was updated recently to recommend waiting until the soil temperatures reach 50 degrees before applying nitrogen in the fall.  The reference to the 2nd and 3rd week of October as a guideline also no longer exists.  The new handbook language is posted at www.ifca.com.  This is a significant departure from past recommendations and it takes a while for everyone to process this and communicate it to farmers.  The handbook recommendations take into consideration research that shows that in some cases, in heavily tiled fields, nutrient losses in later winter and spring can be significant if fall N is applied too early and not stabilized.  We will discuss this in length at the IFCA Convention in January. 

The communications from IFCA are for educational purposes and to stress, as we always do, stewardship.  We also always share with our members the expectations of the policy makers who reach out to IFCA for our input on how ag retailers can be a part of the solution when it comes to protecting water quality.   

The IFCA Board of Directors recommends that the industry follow the recommendations of the Agronomy Handbook and we also recommend the use of stabilizers for all fall applied nitrogen.  Waiting until 50 degrees does NOT mean that stabilizers are no longer needed.  Using stabilizers is important to protect against nutrient losses, and that is what the EPA is asking us all to do. 

Illinois EPA has asked IFCA to help communicate the seriousness of the pressure that IEPA is under from USEPA to control nitrogen and phosphorus losses to water.  Unless the ag industry (dealers and farmers both) can demonstrate a commitment to controlling nutrient losses to the best of our ability, IEPA fears that lawsuits will commence or USEPA will step in and set standards that will be impossible for agriculture to meet, resulting in more lawsuits and possible onerous "one size fits all" regulation.  We don't want that.   

IFCA is committed to protecting the industry's ability to apply N in the fall.  Please watch the soil temps, stabilize fall applied N and work with your customers on an overall nutrient management system that enhances input efficiency, crop production and reduces nutrient losses.