WVU Extension Fertility Recommendation
Tool for small farms
P
otential crop yield is based on
the crop, the soil’s yield potential,
the soil fertility as determined by a soil
test, and added fertilizers.
The WVU Davis College Soil Testing
Lab provides a free soil testing service
to West Virginians. However,
recommendations from this lab do
not account for differences in yield
potential of soil types. In order to
allow producers to fine-tune their crop
fertilization, the WVU Extension Fertility
Recommendation Tool (FRT) provides
recommendations based on the potential
productivity of the field’s dominant soil.
The tool uses soil test values provided by
WVU Davis College Soil Testing Lab or
other soil testing labs in the Mid-Atlantic
area.
Nutrient management planning
(NMP) is a required activity for West
Virginia farms that are defined as
animal feeding operations (AFO). If
the farming operation regularly applies
stored manure and/or wastewater, then
a certified nutrient management planner
must prepare a NMP using the W. Va.
Manure Management Planner software.
However, the majority of West Virginia
farm operations are not AFOs and
do not require a structured nutrient
management plan. These operations are
often pastoral, and during the winter
feeding period they cycle manure
nutrients on to pasture and/or hayland.
Even though farms growing crops do not
need an NMP, doing so helps economic
and environmental sustainability.
The WVU Extension FRT spreadsheet allows non-AFO pasture-based livestock,
fruit, and vegetable producers to develop soil type and field-specific fertility
recommendations. (Find worksheet and fact sheet at http://anr.ext.wvu.edu/soil/
soil-based-crop-fertilization).
1. Select the soil testing laboratory and enter the reported soil test values for
pH, phosphorous, and potassium.
2. The worksheet converts the soil test values from the laboratory to the WVU
Davis College Soil Testing Lab equivalent values of low, medium, or high.
3. Identify the dominant soil using Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS) farm plan or the web soil survey (to use this web resource see the
WVU Extension FRT fact sheet).
4. After identifying the crop, use the worksheet to calculate the expected crop
yield for the crop when grown in the specified soil.
5. Using crop yield and soil test levels, fertilization recommendations are made
for nitrogen (N), phosphorous pentoxide (P2O5 ), and potassium oxide (K 2O).
6. Crop nutrient removal is calculated based on expected crop yield and average
crop nutrient content.
7. Rates of vegetable fertilizer are made in a similar fashion but without
considering soil yield potential, since this information is not currently available.
Using fertilizer rates based on a crop’s yield potential and soil type reduces production
costs when growing on less productive soils and ensures maximum economic yield
when growing on highly productive soils.
By Tom Basden, WVU Extension Specialist – Nutrient Management (304-293-2602)
and Ed Rayburn, WVU Extension Specialist – Agronomy (304-293-2654).
iv / Winter 2015
WVU Update
The West Virginia University
Extension Service and the WVU
Davis College of Agriculture,
Natural Resources, and Design are
pleased to offer this educational
insert to the Farm Bureau NEWS
as a service to West Virginians.
Check our websites
for more news
(www.ext.wvu.edu
and www.davis.
wvu.edu).
Lindsay Wiles, Editor
Greg Jacobs, Graphic Designer
Meg Baughman,
Creative Director
Editorial Planning Committee:
Hannah Fincham, Joan Harman,
Lewis Jett, John Murray, Kevin
Shaffer, Ben Spong, David
Welsh, and Jennifer Williams
Programs and activities offered by the
West Virginia University Extension
Service are available to all persons
without regard to race, color, sex,
disability, religion, age, veteran status,
political beliefs, sexual orientation,
national origin, and marital or
family status.
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative
Extension work, Acts of May 8 and
June 30, 1914, in cooperation with
the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Director, Cooperative Extension
Service, West Virginia University.
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