Nutrient Management for Vegetable Crops

Nutrient Management for Vegetable Crops

Proper plant nutrition is key to a successful vegetable crop.  Too little fertilizer reduces yields.  Too much fertilizer, though not always harmful to the crop, can be economically detrimental to the farm and can negatively impact the environment.  Also, over...
Avoiding Potassium Deficiency in Cotton

Avoiding Potassium Deficiency in Cotton

Every year, I see more potassium (K) deficiency in cotton. This isn’t surprising, since yields have increased with modern cultivars and yield expectations (Fig. 1). The bolls we’re asking plants to carry is a lot higher than they used to be. Keep in mind that K is...
Friday Feature:  Corn that Acquires Its Own Nitrogen

Friday Feature: Corn that Acquires Its Own Nitrogen

This week’s featured video was published by the University of California – Davis to share the results of a remarkable scientific discovery.  Researchers from UC Davis, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and Mars, Incorporated have identified a native...
USDA Researching New Test to Determine Nitrogen Levels in Soil

USDA Researching New Test to Determine Nitrogen Levels in Soil

Sharon Durham, ARS Office of Communications Nitrogen is the main nutrient added to cereal crops like corn, which makes them grow faster and stronger. But too much of a good thing could sometimes have negative outcomes. Too much nitrogen can run off with rainwater or...
Financial Assistance for Farmers Who Implement BMPs

Financial Assistance for Farmers Who Implement BMPs

  Farmers and ranchers have implemented Best Management Practices (BMPs) that maintain or improve water quality, quantity and soil conditions on their lands for many years. Although BMPs are designed to be technically feasible and economically viable,...