Nutrient Management Research Database

This source provides comprehensive coverage of maintaining soil fertility in fruit and vegetable cropping systems. Included are two main sections: nutrient cycling and maintaining soil fertility.

The nutrient cycling section serves as a primer on soil science in order to have a in-depth understanding of now nutrients behave in the soil. Subsections include:

1. Essential plant nutrients
2. Sources of plant nutrients in the soil
3. Losses of plant nutrients from the soil
4. Nutrient pool in the soil
5. Cation Exchange Capacity
6. Organic Matter
7. Nutrient Cycles
8. Biological Transformations of nitrogen
9. Nutrient balance and nutrient budget
10. Whole-farm nutrient budgets

The section on main crop fertility details a number of management decisions that help keep soil productive. Subsections include:

1. Crop rotations
2. Soil and water conservation practices
3. Cover crops and green manures
4. Manure management
5. Compost and other soil amendments
6. Healthy, vigorous root systems
7. Soil acidity and liming
8. Fertilizer applications
9. Soil testing
10. Plant analysis