By: CommonGround Nebraska Volunteer Molly Aden

Spring is here and planting season is around the corner. Whether you are planting a garden or a row crop field, you always want to maximize your efficiency and produce the best you can with what you have. Fertilizer efficiency is important because of only using what’s needed which will benefit the plants along with being a good steward of the land for future generations.

Fertilizer Efficiency

Farmers use fertilizer when necessary to benefit the crops and ensure they have adequate nutrients and avoid disease.  

There are reasons to focus on fertilizer efficiency:

• Nutrient management helps maintain soil quality and fertility.
• Reduces fertilizer costs by ensuring plants receive the most nutrients possible.
• Allows increased crop yields to meet growing global food demands with a smaller environmental footprint.

How Fertilizer is Applied

Many farmers apply fertilizer in bands within inches of the seed. This might be done with a planter, strip-till, sprayer, cultivator or a y-drop machine. They all have the same purpose of getting nutrients as close to the plant as possible verses a broadcast application of fertilizer which isn’t as precise. It is the same concept as you planting a garden at home and sprinkling fertilizer in the same hole as your seed!

Benefit of Fertilizer for Gardens

Did you know applying your fertilizer right next to your plants helps seedlings to grow faster in the spring because their roots don’t have to search for the nutrients? On our farm, we are able to apply fertilizer in bands with our strip-till. This saves us on fertilizer cost because of our nutrient efficiency. We believe this helps our crops start out stronger because they are happier when they get all the food they want, and they don’t have to search for it! 

When applying fertilizer on your farm or your garden, try to look for how you can apply fertilizer more efficiently. Maybe even look for fertilizers that are in the best available form that your plants like to take up! They will be happier and might even give you those first tomatoes sooner!