The Indiana Nutrient Management Tool is a new Excel workbook that provides fertilizer and amendment recommendations for vegetables commonly grown in Indiana. Whether for a backyard garden or a market farm, the tool allows the user to create a plan for the amount of products needed to meet the nutrient goals, which can be based on soil test results or custom entries. Additionally, the inclusion of a compost tab enhances its utility, allowing users to convert between the volume and depth of compost applications and obtain an estimated nutrient contribution.
Based on a farmer needs assessment, a recent Purdue University Diversified Farming and Food Systems publication lists “nutrient management for plant health” and “nutrients, pH, and amendments” as top production challenges in urban agriculture. This new calculator hopes to provide a framework to more efficiently manage the nutrient needs of diverse vegetable crops on our Indiana farms.
This tool was developed by the Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District in partnership with the USDA-NRCS-Indiana Urban Soil Health Team and with input from local growers and Purdue University professors. A special thanks to the grower focus groups and to Ashley Adair and Nathan Shoaf, and Drs. Maynard and Langenhoven for providing comments and suggestions during its development. The data, math, and recommendations are derived from Michigan State University’s Nutrient Recommendations for Vegetable Crops in Michigan, Purdue University resources, the New England Vegetable Management Guide, and Oregon State University.
The tool can be accessed at: https://marionswcd.org/indiana-nutrient-management-tool/
Please join Kevin Allison, Soil Health Specialist, Marion County SWCD, for in-depth training on how to utilize it.
Location: Virtual
Day/Time: Wednesday, May 27, 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Register here:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUuceiorDgoH90hx5klSRY06ICAQe546wQI
Join the SWCD newsletter for information on more upcoming workshops and programs at www.marionswcd.org/connect/
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