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Irrigation, Soil & Fertility TimingNutrient Management Planning Calendar
A nutrient management plan is easier to keep when it follows the year. Tests, decisions, applications and records each have a natural season.
Key points
- Follow the year: review, test, plan, apply, record and review again.
- Count credits from manure, compost and legumes.
- Know your state's nutrient management rules.
- Avoid applying on frozen, saturated or storm-threatened ground.
- Keep records and update the plan every year.
What is nutrient management planning?
Nutrient management planning matches nutrient supply to crop need while limiting losses to air and water. Many extension programs describe it with the idea of the right source, right rate, right time and right place.
Requirements differ by state, and some operations must have a written plan. Check with your state agriculture or environment agency and your local NRCS office to learn what applies to you.
Nutrient management protects both profit and water. Unneeded nutrients cost money, and nutrients that leave the field can harm streams and groundwater. A good plan serves both goals.
- Right source, right rate, right time, right place.
- Know whether your state requires a written plan.
- Gather soil tests, manure analyses and crop plans in one folder.
What happens after harvest?
Review the season: yields, problems, inputs used and records. Take soil samples while fields are open and note areas that need separate sampling.
Use fall to plan lime, phosphorus and potassium needs and to schedule manure or compost applications within the rules for your state.
Manure and compost need analysis, not guesses, and storage capacity shapes when you can spread. A winter plan for storage helps you avoid emergency applications in poor conditions.
- Review yields and input records.
- Take soil samples.
- Schedule manure sampling and storage planning.
How do you plan during winter?
With soil test results in hand, set crop plans field by field. Count nutrient credits from manure, compost, legumes and previous crops. Decide application timing and method for each nutrient and note limits that apply.
Review storage, spreading equipment and application setbacks. Book custom applicators early and confirm that they meet any licensing or certification rules in your state.
If you have a written plan, update it with new soil tests and crop changes. If you do not, consider writing a simple one even if no rule requires it.
What should happen in spring?
Calibrate equipment, check weather and soil conditions and apply according to the plan. Time nitrogen to reduce loss, and avoid applications before heavy rain or on saturated or frozen ground.
If conditions change, adjust and record what you did and why.
Write down the weather at application and for the following few days. If a heavy rain follows soon after, the record will help you judge whether to change timing next time.
- Calibrate spreaders and sprayers.
- Check the forecast for the next several days.
- Record field, date, product and conditions.
What about in-season decisions?
Use crop stage, weather and field observations to decide on side-dressing, supplemental irrigation and other steps. Some states promote in-season tests to check nitrogen status, and your extension office can say which ones are calibrated for your area.
Keep to the plan unless the evidence clearly says otherwise, and write down changes.
Consider keeping a small untreated or low-input check strip in a field to see how the crop responds to your nutrient plan under your own conditions.
What records and review should you keep?
Record dates, fields, sources, methods, weather and amounts, along with soil and manure tests. Records support compliance, show trends and help new managers learn the operation.
At the end of the season, compare plans with results and adjust. Over several years, small corrections add up to better use of nutrients.
Share summaries with your adviser, lender or landlord when appropriate. Clear records make conversations easier and build trust.
- Store records where the whole team can find them.
- Compare planned and actual applications.
- Note changes to make next year.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Applying without a test, ignoring credits, spreading on bad days to empty storage and failing to keep records are common mistakes. Another is treating the plan as a document for the file instead of a working tool.
Review your plan each year and after any change in crops, acres or livestock numbers.
Remember that rules about nutrient limits, setbacks and timing often change, so check each year with your state agency and extension office.
Sources and further reading
Last reviewed: November 2026. Educational information, ranges only. Confirm timing with your county extension office.