WV Farm Bureau Magazine May 2013 | Page 19

Nutrient Management Planning can involve the evaluation or consideration of many things such as: soil, plant and manure analysis; spreader calibration; timing of a nutrient application; custom blended fertilizers; crop yields and nutrient removal calculations; soil texture and other soil physical properties; soil acidity; soil and plant interactions; micronutrients; liming material used; organic matter; nutrient allowances for crop residues and legumes, and much more. Giving your operation an intensive evaluation and increasing your management inputs could very well increase your profit, improve your environmental stewardship, and give you a better footing if you are ever the recipient of unwanted scrutiny. can remove or that the soil can retain. And yields can be greater when crops get proper amounts and proportions of nutrients. On the environmental side, a nutrient management plan will help you get the most out of your fertilizer by helping you keep it in the field and out of streams. Not only can nutrient losses to streams ultimately be harmful to aquatic life, it is the equivalent of throwing your money down the creek. Most West Virginia farmers simply cannot afford to do that. In the early 1990s I worked with farmers in Preston County doing soil nitrogen testing in corn fields. We pulled soil samples and made nitrogen fertilizer application recommendations based on how much nitrogen was already in the soil as compared There are obviously many to realistic yield goals. In specific topics that can be many cases we recommended covered in greater depth under the no additional nitrogen fertilizer heading of nutrient management application because a combination planning, and more articles will of manure, crop residue and other be written in months to come nutrient sources were already that will probe some of these providing an adequate level of areas. But the purpose of this plant available nitrogen. It was article is simply to advocate for understandably difficult for many environmentally friendly and farmers who were accustomed to profitable farming practices and to side dressing with an additional express the importance of nutrient amount of nitrogen to accept the management planning. recommendations. Subsequent crop yields told the story and built Nutrient management trust in soil sampling for fertilizer planning is indeed important recommendations. It was very both economically and rewarding to help farmers save environmentally. On the money, produce good yields and economic side, we only prevent nitrogen loss into the apply what the soil and crops environment. need. Savings can be seen by potentially spending less than The WV Department of you would by applying rates Agriculture maintains a of fertilizers higher than crops certification program for WV Certified Nutrient Management Planners and the American Society of Agronomy certifies professional Certified Crop Advisers who can provide expertise in reviewing your current fertilizer program and assist you in developing a NMP as you desire. Many of these certified professionals work for the WVCA, USDA-NRCS, the WV Department of Agriculture and private industry. These professionals would be your sources for seeking assistance with nutrient management planning. Their job is to assist you in developing your NMP. If there is a particular Nutrient Management or Agronomy related topic you would like to see covered in the format of an article in the Farm Bureau News, please send an e-mail to erict@wvfarm. org. Here’s wishing you fruitfulness in the coming growing season. Thanks to Jeff Skousen, Ph.D., Professor of Soil Science, WVU; and Joe Hatton. Eric Thomason joined West Virginia Farm Bureau in 2009 and works as the Field Representative for the southern half of West Virginia. Thomason graduated from West Virginia University in 1992 with a degree in Agronomy. While there he served on the WVU Soil Judging Team, and spent his summer months working for USDA-SCS and the Monongahela Soil Conservation District. Thomason recently passed the West Virginia Department of Agriculture Nutrient Management Certification exam. West irgini Farm ureau w West Virginia Farm Bureau News West Virginia Farm Bureau News irgi 19