Nutrient Management

by Robert Schiffner, Area Resource Conservationist
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
Hays, Kansas

Managing nutrients has always been a concern in both agricultural and non-agricultural settings. Inadequate nutrients in the soil cause production levels to suffer. Excessive levels of nutrients in the soil and off-site water quality concerns can also be a problem. Learning to manage nutrients at an optimum level benefits both producers and communities.

Managing nutrients is an ongoing process. You must determine reasonable yield goals, perform soil testing to determine what nutrients are already available, and then apply nutrients to meet the crop needs. Timing of application can reduce loss potential. If the nutrients are applied all at once, there is a higher potential for loss before the plant can actually use the nutrients. Split applications can provide nutrients when plants require them the most and allows producers to adjust yield goals based on weather conditions.

Applying manure for nutrients is a way to reduce manure stockpiles and benefit crop production. However, management of nutrients becomes more of a concern. In many cases, manure cannot be applied at levels low enough to meet crop nutrient needs, so stockpiling nutrients in the soil is commonly done when applying manure. This technique often increases the potential for loss of nutrients. It is very important to test soils and test manure prior to application of manure, then manage excess levels of nutrients through proper conservation practices.

When setting up a nutrient management plan on your operation, two pamphlets developed by Kansas State University can be very helpful. They are “Soil Test Interpretations and Fertilizer Recommendations, MF-2586,” and “Estimating Manure Nutrient Availability, MF-2562,” and are available at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library. Your local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office located in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Service Center is also a source of information to help you get started or assist you in assessing your current plan.

Remember, nutrient management doesn’t cost--it pays.

For more information about NRCS programs or natural resources conservation, visit the Kansas NRCS Web site at www.ks.nrcs.usda.gov.

This article is also available in Microsoft Word format.

Nutrient Management (DOC; 45 KB)

< Back to Conservation Editions - Fiscal Year 2007 Index

Last Modified: 08/13/2008