Ten Montana State research projects have received support from Montana Fertilizer Advisory Committee
Montana State University College of Agriculture has received funding from the Montana Fertilizer Advisory Committee for ten agricultural research projects. The committee, consisting of agricultural producers and representatives from the College of Agriculture and MSU Extension, disburses funds collected through an assessment of commercial fertilizers each year. The funding totals just under $394,000 and will support over two dozen MSU faculty and graduate students from various departments. The funded projects include "Fertility Management for Optimum Yield and Quality of Soy and Dry Beans in Eastern Montana," which will generate information on fertility management for soy and dry beans, develop a DBDTP seed treatment to boost plant growth without increasing fertilizer use, and partially fund a scientist in a shared laboratory that conducts research and education related to agriculture and environmental health. The research also aims to address a lack of research into sulfur's role in soil fertility and establish critical sulphur levels to guide producers on whether to fertilize with sulphur and how much to use. It will also provide a baseline for the productivity and quality of alfalfa, grass, and mixed perennial forage. The project also focuses on winter canola seeding dates and fertilizer application timing in Montana, the relationship between fertility and water management, and the assessment of sulphur fertilization as a means to improve statewide forage quality and value by reducing nitrate accumulations in cereal forages. The project aims to save producers money on agricultural inputs while protecting surrounding environments from harm from excessive nitrogen leaching.
