Plant sap analysis as a diagnostic tool for winter wheat nutrient use efficiency

View the project final report

Commodities

• Agronomic: wheat

Practices

• Crop Production: nutrient management, tissue analysis
• Education and Training: on-farm/ranch research

In recent years, producers and conservationists alike have focused on increasing nutrient use efficiency to decrease production costs and protect the environment from the detrimental effects of fertilizer overapplication. Plant sap analysis can enable precise, real-time monitoring of nutrient deficiencies and crop health, potentially providing producers with more accurate information than traditional methods. While its use as a diagnostic tool has been explored in other agricultural systems, little information is available for the Inland Pacific Northwest (iPNW) and winter wheat specifically.

This research compared traditional nutrient management and monitoring practices with periodic plant sap analyses to guide foliar fertilizer applications on three farms. Cost-benefit analyses of the trials will quantify the economic feasibility of adding this diagnostic tool to crop fertility management.

Project results were disseminated through education and outreach activities, including field tours, presentations at industry meetings, newsletter articles, social media posts, webpages, and informational handouts.

Study results helped producers evaluate the efficacy of adopting plant sap analysis, and with more research, could significantly advance precision agriculture thereby increasing yields while reducing costs and harmful nutrient runoff and leaching from overapplication of fertilizers.

The goals of this project were to 1) assess plant sap analysis as an effective and economical winter wheat nutrient diagnostic tool for the Inland Pacific Northwest and 2) disseminate research results and recommendations to producers. 

Three objectives that guided this project are listed below:

Objective 1: Assess the performance of winter wheat produced using fertilizer applications informed by plant sap analysis compared to the performance of winter wheat fertilized according to traditional soil and tissue testing results.

Objective 2: Evaluate producer attitudes and the economic cost-benefits of using plant sap analysis for winter wheat nutrient management.

Objective 3: Disseminate agronomic and economic cost-benefit research results through online resources, publications, and in-person events to inform adoption of sap analysis as a tool for precision nutrient management.