Horticulture

Nutrient Management

The Nutrient Recommendations for Vegetable Crops in Michigan Bulletin E-2934 (shop)(pdf version here), Secondary and Micronutrients for Vegetable and Field Crops Bulletin E-486 (pdf) and Lime for Michigan Soils Bulletin E-471 (pdf) are MSU’s most recent complete resources for nutrient management of vegetable crops. The MSU Fertilizer Recommendation Program can be used to get specific recommendations for any crop, with soil test data that you’ve already acquired.

Cover Crops

The Cover Crops team offers technical advice for field crop and vegetable growers and has generated a Cover Crop Decision Tool through the Midwest Cover Crop Council (MCCC) that can help you identify a cover crop that accomplishes your needs and fits in your rotation.

Organic Farming

MSU offers support for organic growers by way of organic certification resources, workshops, and events through the Michigan Organic Farming Exchange and the Student Organic Farm.

Irrigation

MSU Extension hosts a number of resources related to irrigation. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality hosts the Water Withdrawal Assessment Tool, which is used to determine if a proposed withdrawal is likely to cause an Adverse Resource Impact and to register the withdrawal if it is over 70 gallons per minute or 100,000 gallons per day.

On-Farm Trials

The USDA Grades and Standards are useful for measuring yield quality when trialing new varieties. 

Pollinators

MSU Extension Pollinator and Pollination resources are developed for growers and beekeepers.