Nutrient management crop requirements

Crop requirements and nutrient sources

UI Extension provides resources related to nutrient management for a variety of crops grown in Idaho.

Crop requirements

Beans
Manure
Zinc

Berries

Corn

Adequate nutrition is essential if productive new corn hybrids are to realize their full yield potential. This publication provides fertilizer guidelines based on university research and a special section on manures as nutrient sources for corn.

Manure
Nitrogen, phosphorus or potassium
Secondary and micronutrients
Tillage practices
Forages
Alfalfa
Grasses
Legumes
Grapes
Onion

Onions are grown primarily under furrow or drip irrigation in southwest Idaho and are a high value crop. Most of the harvested onions are marketed from storage during the fall, winter and early spring. They represent roughly a third of the onions marketed nationally. Fertilizers historically are used extensively. Onion culture presents special challenges for effective nutrient management. The root system is relatively shallow though roots extend well into the second foot. The soils program at Parma has addressed onion fertilization issues since the 1970s.

Peas and lentils
Potatoes

Effective management of nutrients is critical for potato production, as tuber yield and tuber quality are directly impacted by quantity and timing of nutrient applications. Potatoes have high nutrient demands, as they require approximately 220 lb nitrogen (N), 30 lb phosphorus (P) and 300 lb potassium (K) per acre to produce a 450 cwt./acre yield of Russet Burbanks, a typical yield for southern Idaho.

Cull (waste)
Garden potatoes
Irrigation
Manure
Nitrogen
Organic
Potassium
Varieties
Small grains

Small grains are important crops throughout Idaho and are grown in diverse production systems ranging from fully irrigated to low rainfall wheat-fallow. Wheat market classes include soft white winter and spring; hard red winter and spring; hard white winter and spring; club; and durum. Wheat is also fed to livestock. Barley is grown for malt, animal feed and human food. Combined small grains represent the second most valuable crop marketed in Idaho. They are valuable for the receipts they provide directly to farms but also are excellent rotation crops for other commodities that may involve higher production costs, marketing risks and income potential. Effective nutrient management is critical for the success of small grains, affecting both production and quality.

Barley
Oats
Residue management
Triticale
Wheat
Fertilizer
Nitrogen

Nitrogen is typically the most important nutrient for wheat as it is the most limiting to production. Effective N management is also important to protect groundwater quality. Effective nitrogen management differs for different wheat production systems and marketing classes. Nitrogen application rate, timing, source and method may all influence wheat yield and quality. Quality concerns related to N include grain protein, gluten strength, test weight; and for durum, vitreous kernels.

Phosphorus
Sugarbeets
Conservation tillage practices
Manure
Nitrogen
Potassium
Wastewater

Nutrient sources

Chemical fertilizers
Gardening
Organic fertilizers
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