Agronomic Services — Why an Agronomic Division?

 

From both an economic and an environmental standpoint, agricultural efficiency is important to every North Carolinian. Declines in agricultural efficiency impose a widening circle of social costs: growers lose money; consumers are denied safe and affordable food and fiber; the state as a whole suffers from environmental problems; and future generations inherit a degraded resource base.

The Agronomic Division helps to avoid these problems by providing science-based, land management information to all those who need it—from large-scale farmers to homeowners and weekend gardeners. Rather than relying on guesswork or trial and error, growers can thus make informed decisions about fertilization, liming, pest control, irrigation, waste management and related matters.

Reliable agronomic information increases production and efficiency while safeguarding the environment. It forms the foundation for policies that protect the immediate interests of consumers and producers without jeopardizing the land resources upon which future generations will depend.

Estimated Impact of the Division

• In 1996 and 1997, the division developed and implemented "expert programs" for nematode assay, waste analysis and solution analysis. These automated programs generate recommendations based on the specific results of each sample analysis.

• In April 1996, the division became the first public agronomic testing lab in the country to make results of its analyses available online. As of June 2000, as many as 1100 unique clients access their reports online each week.

• Each year, the division prevents $11.5 million in crop losses from nematode damage.

• Each year, the division saves growers $5.5 million by clarifying which areas do not require nematicides. These recommendations keep needless chemicals off more than 140,000 acres of food and fiber crops.

• By optimizing lime rates, the division improves farm efficiency. Studies show, for example, that soybean yields in optimally limed plots are 84 percent higher than in unlimed plots. In 1993, analysis of 77,800 soil samples helped farmers see that about half the land used to grow corn, soybeans and small grains was being inadequately limed.

• Tobacco growers rely on solution analysis to evaluate water quality and to adjust nutrient solutions in the production of transplants valued at $28 million annually.

• The division helps prevent environmental problems related to waste production, this despite a 32-percent growth in state livestock numbers and a 22-percent reduction in application sites since 1984.

• By quantifying plant nutrient needs, the division protects the environment from excess fertilizer applications and cuts farm expenses without reducing yields. When division research revealed that tobacco growers were applying too much phosphorus, for example, average application rates decreased from 185 to 86 pounds per acre. This reduction saved growers $60 per acre. Yields have remained stable.

• By monitoring soil fertility, the division helps growers maintain yields while employing technologies such as no-till planting, which can reduce erosion by more than 90 percent compared to conventional practices.

• By quantifying the nutrient content of waste products, the division promotes the responsible use of 145 million pounds of farm-generated nutrients valued at $30 million.

• By analyzing more than 10,500 plant samples annually and identifying nutrient problems before they reach a critical stage, the division helps prevent incalculable farm losses.

• In response to public concerns and government regulations, the division has been asked to play an increasing role in the management of municipal and industrial wastes. Indiscriminate use of these wastes—which may contain significant levels of heavy metals and nutrients—threatens land productivity, surface water and groundwater quality, food safety and human health. Since 1983, the number of samples analyzed by the plant, waste and solution laboratory has increased by 350 percent.

• Plant analyses guide the use of nitrogen and other nutrients in the production of intensively managed strawberries valued at over $7 million. As a result, growers enhance yield and quality while minimizing nutrient applications and protecting the environment.

• The division has developed predictive soil testing methodologies (Mehlich-1 and -3) that are used throughout the world to improve land management efficiency and environmental protection. It has also developed new methods for determining lime requirements and percent humic matter.

• Division-sponsored field days bring together growers, agronomists and agribusiness dealers to clarify problems, exchange ideas and implement improved production practices.