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Agricultural production in Western North America generally focuses on growing high-value crops with carefully managed inputs. Click on a specific state or province for details related to agricultural production and nutrient management in that region. |
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Regional Update - Fall 2011
As the growing season slows down and before the winter rains begin, it is a great time to take soil samples and start planning for the next season. Soil testing is the best way to determine the soil’s ability to supply nutrients for crops. Soil testing not only provides a key component for environmental monitoring, but it also the best predictor of economic and agronomic returns. As fertilizer prices move in response to global demand, the importance of making proper crop nutrient decisions grows. Farmers and crop advisors need to make nutrient management decisions based on good information—and not just a quick, poorly thought-out reaction to the fluctuating price of crop inputs.
Given the essential role of soil testing in making correct management decisions, collecting proper samples is critical. This means taking samples from representative areas in the field, identifying special management zones (such as those receiving manure), and accounting for differences in the landscape. Taking good soil samples will take the guess work out of management decisions and help get the most return from your fertilizer investment.
I see on my calendar that many excellent meetings are being scheduled for the Fall and Winter. There are plenty of opportunities to learn the latest in soils, crops, and agronomy. Global trends as well as local research should impact how you run your operations. Put a few of these excellent meetings on your schedule.
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| Publications |
Research |
News |
 The Fertility of North American Soils, 2010
Nitrogen Utilization by Western U.S. Cotton
Soil and Fertilizer Magnesium
Agronomic Use of Phosphate Rock for Direct Application
Magnesium: A Forgotten Element in Crop Production
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INSIGHTS - Western Region Research Update
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Plant Nutrition TODAY
Phosphorus Fertilizer Production and Technology
Potassium Fertilizer Production and Technology
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Cation Exchange: A Review
In almost all agricultural soils the surface charge is negative, meaning that they will retain positively charged ions (cations). The negatively charged soil will hold enough positively charged ions to balance the negative charge—called the cation exchange capacity (CEC). A soil with a larger negative charge can retain more positively charged ions and has a greater CEC.
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Math Anxiety: Fertilizer Calculations
You may know people who suffer from math anxiety. They avoid situations where mathematics and calculations are required. However, avoiding math is simply not an option when working with agriculture. Most of us do not use sophisticated math on a regular basis, but a review of commonly performed calculations will be the subject of this and future INSIGHTS. We’ll start with some of common calculations that are made when dealing with fertilizers.
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Taking Statistics to the Field
The very idea of statistics seems to frighten many people. While the math can sometimes be intimidating, the general concepts of statistics are used in everyday decisions. For example, will I need my umbrella today? When do I need to fill up my gas tank? Who will win the big game? Or, will my crop respond to additions of fertilizer? Understanding a few basic concepts will help you make decisions and get the most from your nutrient additions.
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CA-32: Johann Six: Univ Calif Davis
N2O Emissions from the Application of Fertilizers: Source Partitioning
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TN-20: Dharma Pitchay: Tennessee State Univ
Nutrient Accumulation Rates and Deficiency Symptoms in Vegetables
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ID-11: Jared Williams, Brigham Young Univ, Idaho
Root Scans to Document Fertilizer Response
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ID-12: Bryan Hopkins, Brigham Young Univ
Documenting P Efficiency for Potato Production
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CA-31: Stuart Pettygrove, Univ Calif Davis
Relationship of Soil K Fixation to Fertilizer K Rate Requirement
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UT-07: Grant Cardon: Utah State Univ
Utah-specific K and P Management for Tree Fruit Productivity and Quality
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AZ-08: Kevin Bronson: USDA-ARS (Arizona)
Improving Nitrogen Fertilizer Management in Surface-Irrigated Cotton
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CA-30: Andre Biscaro, Univ Calif Davis
Using Precision Agriculture Techniques for Alfalfa Production
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What is in a Nitrogen Budget?
Farmers and government regulators are increasingly asking about how to document the benefit from applied fertilizer. One way to do this is to make a balance of nutrients entering and leaving a field. There are several ways to do this, but the simplest way is to make a checkbook-type budget to compare inputs (purchased fertilizer and feed) with outputs (crop or animals sold).
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Is There a Need for More Calcium?
Humans and animals need calcium to build strong bones. Plants require plenty of calcium to develop cell walls and membranes. Animals fed a diet with low calcium develop weak bones and osteoporosis. Similarly, insufficient calcium in plants leads to a breakdown of cell walls and membranes, and to a variety of disease and post-harvest problems.
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Where Does Phosphate Come From?
Early sources of phosphorus were limited to animal manure, which did not supply any new nutrients, but merely allowed them to be transported from one area to another. The first commercial fertilizer became available when it was discovered that adding acid to animal bones would chemically unlock the phosphate and make it available for plant uptake.Phosphate rock is the raw material now used in commercial fertilizer production. Phosphate rock is extracted from the earth in many countries. Most of the phosphate rock is used for fertilizer production, with a small amount going to various industrial uses. Although phosphate rock is a limited natural resource, at current rates of use the world phosphate rock reserves and resources should be adequate for the foreseeable future.
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Where Does Potash Come From?
Potassium fertilizer (commonly called potash) is primarily mined from underground deposits in many parts of the world. Canada is the largest producer of potash fertilizer, followed by Belarus, Russia, and China. The potash ore is extracted from depths exceeding one half mile below the earth’s surface.A few naturally occurring surface-water brines (such as the Great Salt Lake in Utah and the Dead Sea bordering Jordan and Israel) contain sufficient potassium to make potash extraction feasible. Solar evaporation is used to concentrate the salts, which are washed to separate the potassium salts from the sodium salt.
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What sulfur source should I use?
Sulfur has been recognized as restricting crop production in parts of the world. Soil S budgets are negative in many areas, where more S is removed from the field in harvested crops than is supplied by various inputs.Much of the S in soil is present in organic matter, where it is unavailable for plant uptake until it is converted to sulfate. Plants require adequate S for many reactions, including synthesis of proteins and enzymes. When additional S is needed to meet crop needs, there are many excellent sources of this nutrient.
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