FRST: A national soil testing database to improve fertility recommendations

Abstract

Soil testing is an important practice for nutrient management in agricultural production systems. In the United States, soil-test methods and interpretations vary across state lines, making institutional collaborations challenging and crop fertilization guidelines inconsistent. Uniformity and transparency in P and K soil fertility testing and fertilizer recommendations are needed to enhance end-user adoption. The Fertilizer Recommendation Support Tool (FRST) project is developing a comprehensive database of P and K correlation–calibration results that can be accessed through an online tool for use in research and fertilizer recommendation development. This collaborative project, which includes over 30 land-grant universities, the USDA-ARS, the USDA-NRCS, and several not-for-profit organizations, contains a national survey describing the current status of soil testing, minimum requirements for correlation–calibration data inclusion, and database population and creating FRST as a user-friendly online decision support tool. The FRST project will provide more consistent, transparent, and science-based information for crop nutrient recommendations across the United States.