Field Notes: Build a thorough nutrient management plan

Site-specific nutrient management plans help maximize yield potential by minimizing nutrient loss, ultimately enhancing profitability. It should be an ongoing, year-after-year process.

A thorough nutrient management plan goes beyond soil sampling and subsequent application of recommended nutrients. It should also outline sustainable practices to protect the environment.

Environmental resource goals are rarely achieved with a single conservation practice. A thorough nutrient management plan should include a menu of proven practices — based on the 4Rs of nutrient stewardship — to serve as your framework to achieve cropping goals, protect the environment and improve sustainability.

Practices to control runoff and trap nutrients from leaving the field when used in combination can reduce agricultural non-point source pollution and enhance economically sustainable crop production.

Soil Fertility: Understand The Basics

Because nutrient management involves managing all crop fertility inputs, it is critical to understand of the principles of soil fertility to achieve efficiency, maximize crop production and protect the environment.

If you’re not scientifically inclined, there are many resources to lean on, including university Extension agents, retail agronomists, seed or chemical supplier field scientists and crop consultants.

Your local advisers can provide useful contributions specific to the relative amount of nutrients that is needed by each crop and the relationship to amounts removed with harvest.

Adequate supply of nutrients from either soil or applied nutrients is essential for soil fertility for maximum yield potential. Nutrient management plans should be site-specific, tailored to the soils, landscapes and management objectives of your farm. The goal of the plan should be to optimize whole-farm production while minimizing undesired environmental effects.

Several nutrient diagnostic methods — soil testing, plant analysis, crop sensors — can help determine soil nutrient deficiencies and subsequent plant needs. If you didn’t get soil samples pulled last fall post-harvest, spring is a great time to sample soil in preparation for the 2020 growing season.

Steps In Nutrient Management Planning

Follow these steps for developing accurate, achievable and sustainable site-specific nutrient management plans for your fields:

• Obtain accurate soil information for each field or management unit. Examples include use of existing Natural Resources Conservation Service soil maps or may require a new farm soil map. Collect soil samples representative of all areas of a field and have them analyzed by an accredited soil sampling lab.

• Calculate plant nutrient applications required. You should be able to get nutrient recommendations and harvest removal information for common crops from the NRCS, local Extension offices, and university soil fertility publications and websites.

• Estimate any applicable residual nutrient contributions from fertilizer or manures applied in previous seasons.

• Apply animal manures and commercial fertilizers to supply nutrients when needed by using practices that ensure high use efficiency, such as right source, rate, timing and placement.

• It’s important to keep records of nutrient sources, application dates, rates and methods for future reference.

Maximize Economic Return

Following the 4R nutrient stewardship principles — right source, right rate, right time, right place — not only optimizes nutrient management and nutrient utilization, but also is good business.

Farmers have documented higher crop yield when adhering to better nutrient, soil and crop management practices. Improved fertilizer efficiency increases yield per acre and maximizes the input investment of each nutrient unit applied on every acre.

And the additional, very important benefit? Adopting nutrient stewardship practices contributes to preserving natural resources, such as water quality and soil health, while minimizing the impact to the environment.