Plant Nutrition

Nutrient planning is a best management practice that aims to optimize crop quality and yield, through efficient use of fertilizer, which often minimizes fertilizer input costs.

A Nutrient plan includes:

• Applying fertilizer only to make up the difference between what is there and what is required to maximize the targeted yield, which ensures cost-effectiveness.
• Ensuring that the required nutrient is available to the crop.

The first steps in determining the amount of fertilizer is; crop choice and to establish a target yield. This targeted yield would come from your cost of production calculations that determined your projected selling price.

The next step is to determine your nutrient levels. Soil testing does this. Soil test results assist you in understanding the level of nutrients that are available before fertilizer is added.

Once the amount of nutrient to be added is established; the type of product has to be chosen based on your equipment and/or seeding method.

The right time to apply fertilizers is as close as possible to the time plants need the nutrients. Loss of nutrients increases with time.

To maximize your nutrient plan please contact your Richardson Pioneer representative.