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Alaska Bulletin AK190-8-1Subject: ECS-590-Nutrient Management Variance Purpose: To provide guidance for 590-nutrient management implementation during FY08 in Alaska. Expiration Date: September 30, 2008 Nationwide, fertilizer costs have risen substantially over the last few months. In some cases, the cost of bulk fertilizers has doubled from prices paid last year. Traditionally Alaska crop fertilizer recommendations have been made by using soil test results correlated for average or above average yield goals. Most recommendations are made with little serious input from producers concerning yield goals and economic considerations. As fertilizer costs rise, producers will need to balance their economic return potential per unit of fertilizer with their projected yield response and crop price. The Alaska 590 Nutrient Management practice standard requires that recommendations be based on University of Alaska recommendations that consider soil test results, realistic yield goals, and management capabilities. In consideration of the major increase in fertilizer costs, many producers may need to re-evaluate their current fertilizer recommendations to consider reducing projected yield goals, fertilizer inputs, application methods, crop prices, and economic break-even values. Flexibility is given to district conservationists to work with individual producers to adjust recommendations based on the above considerations. District Conservationists should keep in mind that the major purposes of the nutrient management practice are to budget and supply nutrients for plant production and to minimize agricultural non-point source pollution of surface and ground water resources. Care should be taken to inform producers of the risk associated with reduced fertilizer applications on potential yields and plant health. In some instances, annual crop producers have indicated that they are not going to plant this year. In those instances district conservationists should encourage producers to plant a cover crop, where applicable, to reduce the occurrence of water or wind soil erosion. Producers planting cover crops should be encouraged to plant nitrogen fixing crops. Producers enrolled in EQIP with nutrient management incentive payments that decide not to plant an annual crop and want to receive their incentive payment on contracted acres will be required to provide simple economic justification for their decision and will be required to plant a cover crop in order to be eligible for payment. Many forage producers are also weighing the benefits of fertilizing this year. These producers should be encouraged to fertilize at levels that will protect forage longevity and plant health as well as the resource base. Forage producers should consider replacing the N, P, and K removed by last year's crop production. District Conservationists should refer to "Table 1 590 Nutrient Management Conservation Practice Specification" for plant nutrient uptake values for crops based on production. The values in this table are designed to help producers make informed decisions about their nutrient management budget. After discussing this issue with agronomists at the University of Alaska and others, the following general recommendations have been made concerning fertilizer application rates for this year. These reductions do not require modification of existing recommendations.
District Conservationists are still allowed the flexibility to allow a + or - 15% deviation from recommended fertilizer rates to account for varying availability of fertilizer formulations in Alaska as well as adjustment for calibration and application errors. Please contact Helen Denniston, State Agronomist, at (907) 761-7756 or helen.denniston@ak.usda.gov for questions related to nutrient management.
/s/ April 1, 2008 EUGENE SCHOCK
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