Alternative Fertilizer Management Methods to Increase Crop Productivity and Farmer Utility

Fertilizer and seasonal precipitation in dryland crop production is critical for maximizing yield. Low rainfall dryland crop production globally is vulnerable to climatic variability. This work introduces and evaluates previously unconsidered alternative management practices to increase crop productivity and crop production returns. The benefits of hydropriming seeds with liquid fertilizer prior to sowing has not been evaluated previously. The productivity and marginal utility benefits are presented for a mixed land use farm in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia, characteristic of low rainfall dryland crop producing regions globally. Hydropriming seeds increases crop productivity and farmer utility