New National Farm Program pays growers for using SMART NITROGEN
Conservation Stewardship Program now accepting applications for controlled release fertilizer incentive

Release Date: 8/31/2009

LOVELAND, Colo. (August 31, 2009) – Agrium Advanced Technologies is commending the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture for creating the new Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and is encouraging farmers nationwide to participate.

“Growers are already dedicated stewards of the land and we are very pleased to see the government rewarding them for doing the right things to keep farm and rural lands healthy. We are also proud that our products assist them in achieving these goals,” says Jeff Novak, Director of Marketing, Agrium Advanced Technologies (AAT).

The first enrollment period is open now and runs to the end of September. To begin the process, growers can complete a check-list available on the NRCS Web site. NRCS will determine the payment rate at the end of the initial sign-up but it is estimated to be between $12 and $22 per acre of cropland.  More information on the program can be found at SmartNitrogen.com or AgriumAT.com/nrcs. 

One of the environmental issues addressed through CSP is water quality, including fertilizer used on crop and pasture lands.  To improve water quality, CSP offers an enhancement – or payment program – for farmers who use controlled release or slow-release nitrogen. 

ESN®, a controlled release nitrogen fertilizer manufactured by AAT, has been proven to minimize nitrogen run-off by coating urea, a traditional nitrogen fertilizer, with a material that breaks down over time.  “Agrium’s 4R nutrient stewardship – using the right product at the right rate, right time and right place - is a best management practice that leads to long-term economic, environmental and social sustainability which is consistent with the NRCS program and the use of ESN,” says Paul Poister, Government and Community Relations Manager, Agrium U.S., Inc.

CSP, a voluntary program, was created by the 2008 Farm Bill and replaces the old Conservation Security Program familiar to many farmers and landowners.  CSP is offering a continuous enrollment, with an annual acreage cap of 12,769,000 acres nationwide, and the deadline for the first round of applications is September 30, 2009.

About Agrium Advanced Technologies
Agrium Advanced Technologies is a strategic business unit of Agrium Inc., a major retail supplier of agricultural products and services in both North and South America and a leading global producer and marketer of agricultural nutrients and industrial products. Agrium Advanced Technologies is the leading manufacturer and marketer of slow- and controlled-release fertilizers and micronutrients in the Agriculture, professional Turf and Ornamental, consumer lawn and garden, and specialty agriculture markets.   Agrium Advanced Technologies' brands include: ESN®, POLYON®, XCU™, NITROFORM®, NUTRALENE®, and DURATION CR® slow- and controlled-release fertilizers, UltraYield Micronutrients, AMP™ and PRECISE® controlled-release plant protection. These products utilize proprietary advanced generation technologies to control nutrient release for improved plant growth and environmental performance.