Page 14 - Nutrient Management Planning Guide

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Chapter 1.1

Hours of Operation:

8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday, except statutory holidays

How to Contact the Centre:

Toll-free (in Alberta): 310-FARM (3276) or 1-866-882-7677

Out of province: (403) 742-7901

Certified Crop Advisors »

Certified Crop Advisors (CCA) work for agricultural retailers, fertilizer dealers or as private consultants. They can be valuable sources of information for a wide range of issues relating to crop production, including nutrient management. CCA are accredited through the American Society of Agronomy.

Publications

Alberta Agriculture and Food (AF) Publications Office in Edmonton has many free and priced publications related to crop production, soil fertility and environmental management for agriculture.

To order an index catalogue or hard copies of selected publications, call 1-800-292-5697 (toll-free in Canada) or (780) 427-0391.

Most free publications can be viewed and downloaded (.html or .pdf format) from AF’s website, Ropin’ the Web, at www.ropintheweb.com.

Internet-Available Tools

In addition to online publications, Ropin’ the Web has several tools to assist in developing a NMP. Some of these are described briefly below and are also mentioned later in this guide.

Alberta Soil Information Viewer »

This free online viewer allows the user to view and search soils information in the Agricultural Region of Alberta Soil Inventory Database (AGRASID) Version 3.0. Many have found this tool useful when making land management decisions.

To access the viewer homepage on Ropin’ the Web, enter “soil information viewer” in the search window.

Alberta Farm Fertilizer Information and »

Recommendation Manager (AFFIRM) AFFIRM is a software package that generates customized fertilizer recommendations based on cropping practices, soil and environmental conditions and crop production economics. AFFIRM was developed from Alberta research and can recommend fertilizer rates for over 40 different Alberta crops.

To access the AFFIRM homepage on Ropin’ the Web, enter “AFFIRM” in the search window.

Alberta Manure Management Planner »

The Alberta Manure Management Planner (MMP) software package is an adaptation of a manure

management tool developed by Purdue University (West Lafayette, Indiana, United States) that incorporates Alberta data. Information about an operation’s fields, crops, nutrient requirements, manure storage, animals and manure application equipment is used to plan nutrient applications.

To access the MMP homepage on Ropin’ the Web, enter “MMP” in the search window.

Online Calculators

Ropin’ the Web also houses several online calculators that relate to crop production, including:

tip

To find a CCA near you, visit the Prairie CCA Board online at www.prairiecca.ca.