IN YOUR ORCHARD
THE ALMOND BOARD New Nitrogen and Potassium Tool to Improve Nutrient Efficiency As input costs continue to rise and regulatory pressure around nutrient management intensifies, almond growers are looking for tools that help them apply fertilizers more precisely without sacrificing yield or tree health. A new Nitrogen and Potassium Calculator: bit.ly/NKcalc developed through a partnership between the Almond Board of California and UC Davis’ Fruit and Nut Center, is designed to do exactly that. Hosted by the Fruit and Nut Center and available through Almonds.org, the calculator helps growers estimate how much nitrogen and potassium to apply, and when to apply it, based on orchard-specific information and expected yield. The goal is straightforward: improve nutrient use efficiency, reduce unnecessary applications, and limit money spent on product the crop doesn’t need.
Built on Efficiency and Economics Nitrogen and potassium are among the largest input costs in almond production, accounting for a significant share of annual expenses. They are also essential to kernel development and protein formation, making precise management critical. “Kernels are full of protein,” said Sebastian Saa, associate director of agricultural research at the Almond Board of California. “That also means they demand a significant amount of nitrogen.” But applying more fertilizer than necessary doesn’t improve outcomes. Instead, it can reduce efficiency, increase costs, and create additional challenges. “If you have too much nitrogen, it could leach into groundwater aquifers” Saa said, “but you are also making your trees more susceptible to diseases like hull rot.” The new calculator is designed to help growers avoid both sides of the problem, deficiency and excess, by matching nutrient applications more closely to actual crop demand.
From Research to a Practical Tool The calculator reflects more than a decade of almond production research and builds on guidance already familiar to many growers, including the Almond Board’s Nitrogen Management Guide: bit.ly/Nbmp. “We have been working on this topic for about 20 years,” Saa explained. “This calculator reflects the latest of our thinking and includes potassium calculations, which we had not done before.” Rather than requiring users to answer every possible question up front, the calculator uses a stepwise process. Growers can enter basic information, such as orchard
Nitrogen and Potassium Calculator
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