Soil Quality and the Benefits of Crop Rotation, Reduced Tillage, and Manure Application

U tah has a small, but regionally (and nationally, in the case of tart cherry) significant tree fruit industry producing over $23 million in orchard receipts (US Census Bureau, 2009) from about 8,000 acres statewide (42% tart cherry, 23% peaches, 21% apple, with the remainder in sweet cherries, apricots, pears and other minor crops; USDANASS, 2007). Hence, establishing proper interpretive guidelines for sufficient soil and tissue nutrient levels is vitally important in managing and maintaining orchard productivity and, thus, continued viability of this important industry. However, review of soil and tissue nutrient sufficiency information used in the state and regionally (through use of USU Analytical Laboratory services) indicates that the interpretive values are derived primarily from data generated in Oregon, Pennsylvania and New Jersey (James and Topper, 1993). As a result, under support from the Utah Horticulture Association, the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Continued on page 2