Fertilization guidelines expanded for California irrigated ag

The California Fertilization Guidelines on the Fertilizer Education and Research (FREP) website have been expanded to include recommendations for 18 crops, representing more than half of the irrigated agriculture in California. The recent additional recommendations are for plums, peaches and nectarines. Potato recommendations are coming soon. Additionally, FREP announced that tomato, strawberry, and almond fertilization guidelines are now available in Spanish and English.

FREP publishes nitrogen management brochures based on the guidelines. If you would like to make specific crop brochures available at your next event, high-quality PDFs and a limited amount of printed brochures are available from FREP upon request. Find the brochures on the Outreach and Education page of the FREP website under “Nutrient Management Resources,” and on select crop guideline pages under “Additional Information.”

The guidelines also include tips for site-specific adjustments. Although the guidelines are predominantly based on research conducted in California, adjustments for your specific field are important for an optimal fertilization program. Adjustments depend on expected yield, soil properties, local weather conditions, and crop management. Consideration of the multiple pathways of nitrogen and nutrient loss in the field will help you develop your practices to reach maximum efficiency.

The California Fertilization Guidelines and nitrogen management brochures provide growers with an important decision-making tool for environmentally safe application of fertilizing materials without compromising crop yield.