By Denise Attaway
As spring planting begins in South Carolina, Clemson University scientists say farmers facing rising fertilizer prices can rely more on nutrient-management strategies to control costs.
Farmers can adjust how they manage soil nutrients to offset higher costs, said Bhupinder Farmaha, a nutrient management specialist at the Clemson Edisto Research and Education Center near Blackville, South Carolina.
“Farmers can use animal manure for immediate needs and cover crops for longer-term soil health,” Farmaha said. “Crop rotation, reduced tillage and integrating livestock can also increase soil organic matter and reduce fertilizer needs. Precision soil testing can further limit unnecessary applications.”
An economic analysis, including purchase and transportation costs, should be conducted to determine the feasibility of fertilizing with animal manure.
Doctoral students Karamvir Kaur and Simranpreet Kaur are conducting on-farm poultry manure studies on nitrogen and potassium use in corn and soybean crops. They found farmers may be able to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium use. Site-specific data will be available later.
As for cover crops, legumes can help replenish soil nitrogen and improve soil health over time.
Source : clemson.edu