4R Research Fund Announces Requests for Preproposals

September 4, 2018 – Peachtree Corners, GA, USA – The 4R Nutrient Stewardship Research Fund has released a request for preproposals to conduct field research and demonstration projects that evaluate and promote the economic, social, and environmental outcomes of 4R Nutrient Stewardship. The 4R Nutrient Stewardship concept consists of using the right source of fertilizer, at the right rate, at the right time, and in the right place.

While the first round (2013-2018) of 4R Research Fund projects evaluated impacts in major commodity crops, the second round (2018-2022) seeks to support 4R practices addressing additional regions, cropping systems, and issues pertaining to agriculture in the United States.

Preproposals are currently being accepted for United States-based projects in the following two priority areas. The first is projects focused on 4R practice outcomes for a broader range of crops and cropping systems including cotton, rice, fruit, vegetable and tree crops, particularly in combination with irrigation. The second is projects focused on innovation in improving the reliability of soil fertility and plant nutrition recommendation systems in general. Projects on other topics may be considered, but all projects must be focused on advancement of 4R Nutrient Stewardship.

The 4R Research Fund was established by the fertilizer industry in 2013 to establish sustainability indicators and gather environmental impact data on 4R Nutrient Stewardship across North America. The fund was initiated by members of The Fertilizer Institute, Fertilizer Canada, and International Plant Nutrition Institute, but now receives support from a growing list of agribusiness companies and stakeholder organizations. Descriptions of these projects, completed and ongoing, are available at http://info.ipni.net/4R-RESEARCHFUND.

Submitting a Preproposal
Preproposals should follow the guidelines set out in the RFPP [posted at http://info.ipni.net/4R-RESEARCHFUND]. Submit your preproposal by email to the International Plant Nutrition Institute by 5 pm Eastern Time on 30 October 2018 at research@ipni.net. Canadian projects are coordinated through Fertilizer Canada; contact https://fertilizercanada.ca/contact/.


The 4R Research Fund Technical Advisory Group will review the preproposals and select projects to develop into a full proposal for consideration of funding.

Media contacts: Dr. Tom Bruulsema, IPNI Vice President; Phone: 519.835.2498; E-mail: tom.bruulsema@ipni.net; or Gavin Sulewski, IPNI Editor; E-mail: gsulewski@ipni.net.