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Nutrient Management Updates
Agricultural Nutrient Management Program
Krista Mitchell, Nutrient Management Advisor for Howard and Anne Arundel Counties, works with Maryland producers to develop nutrient management plans that balance nutrient application rates with crop nutrient requirements, by incorporating soil and manure analyses, estimates of residual nitrogen, and realistic yield goals to generate field-by-field crop nutrient recommendations. The ultimate goal of nutrient management plans is to protect the health of the Chesapeake
Bay by reducing excessive nutrient applications from entering Maryland's waterways.
The Water Quality Improvement Act of 1998 requires all Maryland producers who make or exceed $2,500 gross annual income or who have 8 or more animal units (1 animal unit = 1,000 pounds live weight) to obtain and implement a nutrient management plan. The Maryland Department of Agriculture (www.mda.state.md.us/resource_conservation/nutrient_management) is responsible for enforcing the regulations set forth by the WQIA.
The University of Maryland Extension's Agricultural Nutrient Management program (www.anmp.umd.edu), provides no-cost nutrient management plans, minus the cost of analyses, to Maryland farmers. Nutrient Management Advisors are located at every UME county office throughout Maryland and also provide assistance with pre-sidedress nitrate tests (PSNT) for grain corn, yield checks, and equipment calibration. For more information on the Nutrient Management Program, please contact Krista Mitchell, Nutrient Management Advisor.
Soil Testing
Although the University of Maryland Soil Testing Lab has closed, there are many other labs available that conduct soil analysis. Not all labs can be readily converted into University of Maryland values, and this is necessary to generate nutrient recommendations for a nutrient management plan. Producers will need to make arrangements with these soil-testing labs (i.e. obtain soil bags, forms, and make arrangements to mail the samples to the lab). For more information, see our Comparison of Soil Test Labs bulletin. This comparison provides MD producers who must obtain a nutrient management plan a list of approved labs that can be used for their nutrient management plan development. Please note that specific sampling procedures need to be followed in order for these lab's analyses to convert to University of Maryland soil test values. See Soil Sample Procedures bulletin for instructions. Producers required to obtain a nutrient management plan for their operation should follow these sampling procedures, rather than the lab's sampling instructions.
Nutrient Management Update
By, Krista Mitchell
Nutrient Management Advisor, Anne Arundel & Howard Counties
PRE-SIDEDRESS NITRATE TEST FOR CORN
If you grow corn and forage legumes in rotation, have a history of manure applications, and have applied less than 50 pounds per acre of commercial fertilizer nitrogen to your corn this season, you may benefit from the PSNT. The PSNT is an in-office analysis used to determine how much, if any, sidedress nitrogen is needed for your corn crop to achieve optimum yields. Call your nutrient management advisor when your corn is 6-12 inches tall to schedule your analysis.
NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT PLANS FOR FRUIT GROWERS:
If your operation has tree fruit, brambles or blueberries, the small window of time to take plant tissue samples for your 2012 nutrient management plans is coming up.
Timing for plant tissue sampling:
Grapes: at full bloom
Blueberries: 1st week of harvest
Fruit trees: July 15th - September 1st
Brambles: August 1st - 20th
Contact your county’s nutrient management advisor for sampling instructions and a list of approved labs (also available on Nutrient Management Program website mentioned preciously) that conduct plant tissue analysis. Soil samples should also be taken in the same area, in conjunction with the tissue sample.
Lastly, a reminder that all operations that make or exceed $2,500 gross annual income, or that have 8 or more animal units (1 animal unit = 1,000 lbs. live weight), are required to have and implement a current nutrient management plan. Nutrient management plans can be written for a maximum of 3 years for operations that utilize commercial fertilizer only and for producers that know what their crop rotation will be for the next 3 consecutive years. Operations that utilize manure or other organic nutrient sources should have their plans updated annually. The University of MD Extension provides no-cost nutrient management plans to producers, minus the cost of analyses.
ShareThisFor more information, contact Krista Mitchell
Last updated: 04/11/2012
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