Oilseed Meal Fertility Trial

Oilseed meal can provide a source of plant-derived nitrogen fertilizers. Agronomic research is needed to help farmers implement these alternative fertility sources. Seed meals are a high-protein byproduct of seed oil extraction from crops such as soybean, canola, sunflower, hemp, and peanut. While a byproduct, seed meals still retain nutrient value after oil extraction, and are high in protein. Hence, seed meals are often utilized as livestock feed. Seeds meals can also be used as organic soil amendments and can act as organic fertility sources to farmers. In order to examine the efficacy of several seed meals as fertilizers, the University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crop and Soils (NWCS) Program conducted a trial in the 2020 field season and evaluated sweet corn yield and soil nitrate-N (NO3) levels following soil amendment with various oilseed meals