Question
Comment
Is an International Code of Conduct for the Use and Management of Fertilizers beneficial and useful? To whom, and why?
I am supportive of the initiative. How far the code of conduct will penetrate beyond governments and the fertilizer industry remains to be seen.
Does this Fertilizer Code of Conduct address all aspects necessary to ensure the responsible use of fertilizers, optimizing benefits while minimizing risks?
This is a comprehensive document that covers the key issues surrounding fertilizer use. I though the document was stronger on optimizing benefits than on minimizing risks (see below).
Are there any topics or subject matter missing from this Fertilizer Code of Conduct? If so, what are they?
There is very little in the document about minimizing risks associated with fertilizer applications. Looses of Ammonia following manure and slurry applications are hardly mentioned, yet atmospheric emissions of ammonia from agriculture are a significant global problem. Careful management of manures and fertilizers will have an important role to play in minimizing these emissions.
Water pollution is touched on. But there are significant issues associated with the pollution of ground and surface waters. This is addressed by mentioning the need not to overfertilize with P, but the same must also be true of N. A section should be inserted reflecting this.
Recycling of ‘waste’ to land will be increasing important and necessary for a variety of reasons. However, a note of caution should be introduced into the document asking governments to set appropriate legal standards for such materials. We do not want materials, such as struvite, being added to soils if they also contain contaminants.
Are there redundancies or unnecessary items or subjects within this Code of Conduct? If so, what are they?
The code is very long, perhaps necessarily so. Could a shortened version covering the key points be published alongside it?
Prof. John Quinton