Hops Growers Combine Efficiency and Environmental Concern Top of page. Adapted from Oregon's Agricultural Progress, Fall 1996, Oregon State University. The work, a cooperative effort among the OSU Agricultural Experiment Station, the Oregon Hop Commission, the Oregon Departments of Environmental Quality and Agriculture, and the growers, is starting to pay off with more efficient, less costly fertilization that protects the environment. This sounds simple, he explains, but it is a hard sell to producers because fertilizer is relatively inexpensive. At about 30 cents a pound, nitrogen fertilizer is cheap insurance for hop growers worried about keeping yields high.
Most growers are, however, aware of other considerations.
Ideally, you want to end the growing season with only small amounts of nitrate-nitrogen remaining in the soil. OSU researchers closely monitored nitrogen levels and hop yields and suggested adjustments that would reduce or eliminate any excess. Christensen also suggests that producers use cover crops to keep excess nitrogen from leaching during the winter. We hope they can confirm our results and refine the management practices. Top of page.