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Crop Codes

When you fill in the required information on the Agro-One Sample information sheets you will be asked to provide a Crop Code.

The Crop Code is a three letter abbreviation provided on the back of the sample information sheets and on the attached Agro-One Crop Code lists.

The Crop Code is used to generate crop specific nutrient guidelines. Please take time to review the crop codes provided and use the one that most closely matches the crop(s) that you plan to grow. Using the correct Crop Code will help ensure that you will get the nutrient guidelines that best match your crop needs.

Perennial crops like alfalfa or alfalfa grass mixes will have two crop codes, one for pre-plant samples and guidelines and a second code for established stands to generate nutrient guidelines for topdress or maintenance applications to established stands.

For example:

ALE is the correct pre-plant code for the perennial crop ALFALFA. You would use this code for soil samples taken 6 months to a year before the crop is planted to allow adequate time for any applied limestone and fertilizer to react with the soil before the crop is planted.

ALT is the correct code for established stands of ALFALFA. You would use this code for soil samples taken from an established stand of alfalfa to determine the amount of lime or fertilizer needed for maintenance/topdress applications.

Take care to provide the appropriate codes for the current year, year 2 and year 3 to avoid unlikely crop sequences. An example of an unlikely crop sequence or rotation is shown below:

Year One ALE - Alfalfa Establishment

Year Two COS - Corn Silage

Year Three ALE - Alfalfa Establishment

It is unlikely that a farmer would go to the expense and effort to establish a new stand of alfalfa in year one, plow it down and plant corn in year 2 and replant alfalfa again in year three. A more probable Crop Code sequence would be ALE - ALT - ALT for a new seeding followed by two or more years of established alfalfa or ALT - COS - COS where Year one is the last year of alfalfa followed by 2 years of corn for silage.

Some vegetable crop codes are different for homeowner samples than for commercial vegetable crop codes. For example:

MIX is the correct code for mixed vegetables for the V Commercial Vegetable input sheet.

MVG is the correct code for mixed vegetables for the H Home Lawn & Garden input sheet.

Forms A, V, D1 and D2 will ask for crop codes for the prior 3 years as well as the current and 2 subsequent years. Prior crop history is used to provide comments relative to N requirements of the current and 2 future crops. You will receive nutrient guidelines for the current year and two following years if a valid crop code for all three years and all other required information is provided.

So, please review the crop codes and select those that best match the actual crops to be grown. This will help insure you receive appropriate interpretations and nutrient guidelines.