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By Ty Higgins, Ohio Ag Net
BASF and Nutrien have announced a strategic collaboration designed to help farmers gain more value from sustainable farming practices already in use. Under the collaboration, Nutrien agronomists will work directly with growers to optimize yield potential using practical, on-farm sustainability practices. Together, the organizations will make it easier for farmers to participate in low-carbon-intensity biofuel programs, including those supported under the Clean Fuel Production Credit, also known as Section 45Z, and prepare for future low-carbon biofuel markets.
“What’s before North American agriculture right now, presented through 45Z in the Clean Fuel Production Credit, is the opportunity for farmers to be recognized for the good things they are doing to help lower the carbon intensity of biofuels,” said Chad Asmus, BASF sustainability market development manager.
Through the collaboration, Nutrien agronomists will work closely with growers to tailor sustainability practices to the unique conditions of each farm. This hands-on, individualized approach ensures sustainability efforts are practical, agronomically sound, and aligned with each farmer’s operational goals. The result is a system that helps growers optimize yields while targeting low carbon-intensity scores, creating opportunities for additional revenue in today’s evolving biofuel markets.
“This will be our sixth cropping season of running sustainable ag programs based on carbon, and since 2021, we’ve touched just over 5 million acres in the U.S. and Canada with our nitrogen management program,” said Dr. Sally Flis, director of sustainable ag programs with Nutrien. “So, we’ve got a great track record and experience in data collection, practice implementation, and really helping the growers have what they need to get through a third-party verification process. We’re really excited to bring those strengths that we have in the field and as a sustainable ag team at Nutrien, alongside the tool of Xarvio that BASF has built, to get these growers in the pipeline the right way and with the right information, so that they have a positive experience and a positive outcome.”
Farmers already participating in programs like H2Ohio or federal conservation efforts that require a nutrient management plan will be one step ahead in the process.
“It’s definitely a big help because in the current USDA guidelines, if you’re going to claim nutrient management or nitrogen management, or you’re going to claim the use of a nitrification inhibitor, you need to have a nutrient management plan to back that up,” Flis said. “So just the fact these geographies already have to do that means they’re going to be a little bit of a step ahead because they’ve already got something documented that they know some level of government has reviewed and said, ‘Yes, this is an appropriate nutrient management plan in order to fit into this program.’”
That ready-to-use data, along with a trusted adviser, will go a long way toward seeing success sooner rather than later.
“The wealth of knowledge and assistance the nutrition consultants can bring to this is tremendous,” Asmus said. “The farmer has a lot of that data already for this to be successful at scale for the biofuel industry, but it takes enabling that trusted adviser and utilizing their resources for the benefit of the entire value chain.”
In addition to its digital tools, BASF offers a comprehensive portfolio of agronomic solutions, from performance-driven fungicides like Veltyma, which help optimize yield potential, to burndown herbicides such as Verdict, which support no-till systems and cover cropping. BASF is also committed to expanding low-carbon-intensity crop feedstocks beyond Section 45Z and into other biofuel markets, helping ensure farmers are recognized for their ongoing innovation and long-term commitment to sustainability.
