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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 - August 2010Boosting Efficiency As the growing season winds down, it is time to finish up the last chores needed to produce an abundant and high-quality crop. All the decisions made during the season come together during harvest, when it becomes evident if the choices were correct or not. Next comes the step of getting the crop sold and making sufficient profit to stay in business. All of these steps rely on the principle of efficiency. One simple definition of efficiency is the ratio of output to the input. We apply this concept in many everyday decisions when we ask ourselves… is this worth it?
Getting the most efficient use of plant nutrients is a primary goal each year, but the same objectives also apply to efficient use of water, energy, pest protection, labor, and many other operations around the farm. As harvest season proceeds, use this time to evaluate your decisions and ask yourself if you have done all you can to optimize efficiency this year.
It is obvious that adequate plant nutrition is essential for growing healthy crops, but it must be supplied with an eye on efficiency. A convenient way to begin improving fertilizer efficiency is to remember the “4R” nutrient stewardship concept, which is applying the Right Source, at the Right Rate, at the Right Time, and at the Right Place. Reviewing these four principles will go a long way in helping improve the return on your fertilizer investment.
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| Publications |
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 Magnesium: A Forgotten Element in Crop Production
Soil and Fertilizer Magnesium
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INSIGHTS - Western Region Research Update
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Plant Nutrition TODAY
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Alfalfa nutrition presentations
Within the United States, the leading alfalfa growing states are California, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Idaho and Montana are also in the top-ten alfalfa producing states of the U.S. Alfalfa has a wide range of adaptation and can be grown from very cold northern plains to high mountain valleys, from rich temperate agricultural regions to Mediterranean climates and searing hot deserts. In the U.S., alfalfa competes with wheat as the third most important crop in value, depending on the year.Large amounts of nutrients are removed with harvested alfalfa hay. It is essential that alfalfa has adequate nutrition to produce high yields of top-quality hay. The need for phosphorus and potassium is shown in the two Powerpoint files attached here:
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Watch Emerging Potassium Deficiency with Drip Irrigation
The use of drip irrigation continues to expand to cover more acres and more crops. This conversion may be driven by labor costs, a need for improved water management, fertilizer efficiency considerations, or a quest for higher yields. Whatever the reason, there are important differences to consider with your nutrient management program when making this change. Yields have soared for many crops as the transition continues from surface irrigation to drip irrigation. For example, average yields for California processing tomatoes have climbed from 30 tons/A to over 40 tons/A in the past 10 years … with yields well over 50 tons/A becoming common. Table grape vineyards that previously produced 400 boxes/A now produce more than 1,000 boxes/A with drip irrigation, while using less water. When plants are irrigated with drip irrigation, root growth is concentrated in the soil zone where frequent wetting occurs. This limited zone contains most of the water and nutrients that the plant will extract for growth and development. When the drip emitters are buried 6 to 12 in., much of what is happening is hidden from view.
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