Over the next few months, the University of Minnesota Extension will discuss potential practices dairy farmers could consider to reduce their farm's excess phosphorus balance, which is importing more phosphorus into a farm system than is exported.

Many producers could benefit by using starter fertilizer when planting corn.

The keys to maximizing the economic returns from phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilizer applications are a comprehensive soil testing program and maintaining P and K soil test levels above their respective critical levels. The critical level for a given nutrient is the soil test level at which 95% to 97% of the crop’s yield potential will be reached with no additional inputs of the nutrient.

Poultry litter can provide a significant and important supply of nutrients for crop production in areas where a supply of litter is available. Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma rank among the largest producers of poultry in the U.S.

Agronomists from Ohio State University's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences have created a fact sheet designed to provide growers guidance on soil sampling to develop nutrient recommendations.