What is Back-to-Basics?

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	— Why Back-to-Basics?
	—	Nutrient Balance Information
	— Soil Test Summary
	— Agri-Briefs
	— Agri-Facts
	— Agronomic Tips
	— Crop Nutrient Utilization
	— Fertility Issues
	— Environmental Steward
	— Fertility Checklist
	— Fertility Quizzes
	— IPNI Insights
	— Narrowing The Gap
	— News Briefs
	— Nutrient Deficiency
	— Regional Updates
	— Soil Fertility Links
	— Comments

Back-to-Basics is an educational program aimed to teach growers and those who influence their fertilizer management decisions about the critical importance of proper soil fertility. The message emphasizes minimizing decisions that result in short-term cost savings, but long-term cost increases. Successful farmers base input decisions on site-specific facts that help assure they will get optimum returns from dollars invested in inputs such as fertilizer. Most profitable farmers have lower costs per unit of production because they attain higher crop yields while controlling total costs. Back-to-Basics illustrates a critical lesson: No matter what the economic or agronomic environment, farmers need to make the basics of a profitable crop production program a top priority. Proper soil fertility is the foundation on which high yields are built.

Why is The Mosaic Company championing this initiative?
As a leader in the fertilizer industry, The Mosaic Company delivered this important message to the market place. By targeting influencers (including the media, fertilizer dealers, crop consultants, county agents, university extension personnel, ag lenders and farm managers) as conduits to the end-user/grower, The Mosaic Company also recognizes the opportunity to reinforce its leadership position with its customers and others within the fertilizer industry.

Why was it started?
The need for this educational initiative arose when it became apparent that fertilizer cutbacks were becoming a trend in a time when soil fertility levels were appearing to erode. In 1997 and 2001 nationwide analysis of soil tests, the Potash & Phosphate Institute (PPI) revealed evidence that nearly half of the nation's soils were testing average to below average for both P and K. At the same time, commodity prices were at historic lows, causing many farmers to cut back on their fertilizer inputs. See: http://www.ipni.net/ipniweb/portal.nsf/0/20DEE100DAA86F668525727300746DF5

How does the program manifest itself?
The Back-to-Basics program efforts have included the following components:

	Media tours to national trade and grower publications
	Press releases and feature articles
	Web site at www.back-to-basics.net
	Direct marketing efforts (ad slicks, radio scripts, statement stuffers and reminder postcards) that targeted fertilizer dealers, crop consultants, university extension personnel, ag lenders, and farm managers
	Advertising in key trade publications highlighting the benefits of the Back-to-Basics program
	Grower and dealer tradeshows

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