Industry-wide Field Day Utilizing Soil and Tissue Testing for a Second Year to Determine Crop Nutrient Needs as Part of a Comprehensive Fertilizer Management Plan for Cut Foliage

摘要

Cut foliage growers recognize the importance of Florida Best Management Practices (BMPs).These practices are crucial in monitoring nutrient levels in leaves and soil. The goal of this effort was to assist growers with launching a nutrient soil and tissue baseline for the cut foliage industry, interpret second year test results, and to promote smart decisions with fertilizer use. In 2017, a grant was procured to provide free soil and tissue sample analysis, and promotional items in order to entice growers to participate in the study and to attend an on-farm field day. Twenty-three growers were provided free soil and tissue testing on leatherleaf fern and other cut foliage. An industry-wide field day held in May 2018 reinforced the importance of the BMP yearly monitoring. A total of 206 soil and tissue samples were submitted by industry growers participating within Volusia, Putnam, and Lake Counties. Test samples from 2016 were used to compare against the 2018 soil and nutrient tests. The long term outcome will be for growers to use the soil and tissue baseline analysis as a tool in order to make fertilizer management decisions resulting from their test results.