BROOKINGS, S.D. – Fertilizer recommendations can vary widely across state lines, which is a management challenge for producers working in multiple states.
To meet that need, South Dakota State University Extension and project partners are proud to announce the nationwide release of the Fertilizer Recommendation Support Tool (FRST), a decision aid that provides an unbiased, science-based interpretation of soil phosphorus and potassium values for crop fertilization.
Important nutrients for soil health and crop production, phosphorous and potassium are key in commonly applied fertilizers. The new web-based FRST tool provides critical phosphorus and potassium soil test values to indicate where applying phosphorus or potassium fertilizers likely wouldn’t improve crop yields.
Using data from 40 states in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, the tool can potentially save crop producers millions of dollars annually in fertilizer costs while reducing excess nutrient losses to the environment.
For more information about FRST (FRST v1.0), visit https://soiltestfrst.org and click on “Tool” in the navigation menu at the top of the page.
“We are extremely excited about the launch of the decision support tool,” said Jason Clark, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Soil Fertility Specialist representing SDSU on the project. “FRST was developed in response to the pressing need to harmonize soil testing across state boundaries. It represents an improvement in our ability to evaluate soil test correlation.”
Constantly updated, FRST’s dynamic database includes data from nearly 2,500 phosphorus and potassium trials for 21 major agricultural crops, primarily corn and soybeans. The team plans to expand to other crops, cropping systems, and other nutrients, such as sulfur.
FRST is a collaboration of over 100 soil science and agronomic professionals representing nearly 50 universities, four divisions of the United States Department of Agriculture, several not-for-profit organizations, and one private sector partner.
Clark said the diverse partnership underscores the collective effort and expertise invested in the development of FRST, paving the way for future advancements in nutrient management.
“We believe that FRST will not only benefit farmers by improving farm economics and conservation practices but also contribute to global sustainability,” Clark said.
Funding for the project has been provided by the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service including the Conservation Innovation Grants, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, and USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and OCP North America.
For more information, contact Jason Clark, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Soil Fertility Specialist, at Jason.D.Clark@sdstate.edu; Deanna Osmond, professor of soil science, North Carolina State University at deanna_osmond@ncsu.edu; or Nathan Slaton, assistant director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, at nslaton@uark.edu.
