This research study underscores the importance of effectively managing soil nutrients in a site-specific manner to enhance crop productivity while considering the spatial variability of the soil. The objective is to identify subfields with similar soil characteristics, referred to as management zones (MZs), to promote sustainable land utilization. This study was conducted in two central pivot fields located in Southern Idaho, USA, where barley and sugar beets were grown. Soil samples were collected from each field in a grid pattern and analyzed for various chemical properties. These properties included soil pH, organic matter, cation exchange capacity, excess lime, electrical conductivity, total inorganic nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, manganese, copper, and boron. Descriptive statistics and normality assessments were performed, and the coefficient of variation was calculated to assess the heterogeneity of soil properties, revealing significant variability. To determine the spatial variability of soil properties, ordinary kriging was used revealing diverse spatial patterns for each location and soil variable examined with moderate to strong spatial dependence. To develop the MZs, a combination of principal component analysis and fuzzy k-means clustering was utilized, and specific parameters that represented the overall variability of soil properties in each field were identified. Based on the identified parameters, two clusters were created in each field. The first management zone (MZ1) exhibited lower values of soil pH, excess lime content, and electrical conductivity compared to the MZ2. Consequently, higher crop productivity was observed in MZ1 in both fields. The biomass yields of barley and sugar beets in MZ1 surpassed those in MZ2. This study highlights the effectiveness of the methodology employed to delineate MZs, which can be instrumental in precise soil nutrient management and maximizing crop productivity.

Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) postharvest residue in northern Idaho has historically been burned to maintain stand life and profitability. Alternatives to open field burning are necessary to reduce adverse impacts of burning on air quality and several have been proposed. However, limited information is available on the impact of residue management on residue removal and nitrogen cycling. In this study, the impact of residue management on residue nutrient dynamics and nitrogen availability was evaluated within replicated full load burn (FLB), bale then burn (BB), bale then mow then harrow (BMH), and system (SYST) (BMH year 1, BB year 2, and FLB year 3) plots in Kootenai County, ID from 2002 to 2006. Standing and non‐standing residues were measured immediately following grass seed harvest and periodically thereafter in each plot. Averaged across years, non‐standing residue (thatch) removal ranged from −13% in BMH to 61% in FLB, and removal of standing biomass ranged from 6% in BMH to 92% in FLB. The combined removal of both non‐standing and standing residue was 18% with BMH, 57% with SYST, 69% with BB, and 75% with FLB. Plant N uptake ranged from 53 kg N ha⁻¹ in FLB in 2006 to 131 in SYST (BMH) in 2003 and nitrogen use efficiency, calculated using partial factor productivity formula, ranged from 0.6 to 5.8 kg bluegrass seed per kg N fertilizer. Mean NO₃⁻–N concentrations from lysimeters 10‐cm deep were 14 mg NO₃⁻–N L⁻¹ in FLB, 12 mg NO₃⁻–N L⁻¹ in BB, and 6 mg NO₃⁻–N L⁻¹ in BMH treatments for years 2003–2006. Greater concentrations of NO₃⁻–N in burn treatments were available for plant uptake or leaching compared to the BMH treatment. The data indicate that the efficacy of any residue management system will vary from year to year and impact seed production in the following year. Nitrogen availability varied across residue management systems, suggesting N fertilizer product, rate, and timing to optimize N use efficiency may also need to vary.

Interest in local and regional food systems (LRFSs) as economic development and food resilience strat­egies has grown over several decades. Disruptions caused by climate change, the COVID-19 pan­demic, and international conflicts have illuminated our vulnerabilities and increased motivation to build resilience by “scaling up” local and regional foods. Yet, scaling up LRFSs remains challenging and aspirational in many communities, suggesting a need to further explore their development as con­textualized and hybrid systems. Drawing from a survey of landowners and interviews with produc­ers, resource managers, and others, this study focused on the Palouse bioregion of the U.S. Northwest. This was done to illustrate the com­plexity and potential of scaling up LRFSs in the context of land and water constraints, diverse stakeholders, and multiple, potentially conflicting land-use goals. The results identify points of ten­sion between small-scale produce and large-scale dryland commodity systems, but also identify points of complementarity. Conflict, dialectic, and hybridization can help each scale become more environmentally and economically sustainable. While land access is a barrier, our landowner sur­vey identified over 1,000 acres (405 hectares) potentially available for growing produce for LRFSs. Landowners expressed a diverse set of values and orientations to agriculture, which shapes land access and provides opportunities for differ­ent approaches. Water supply constrains irrigated agricultural development rather than prevents it in this region; however, water-efficient irrigation prac­tices and pond development hold promise for agri­cultural, hydrologic, and habitat improvement. Short food and values-based supply chains for arti­san grains can leverage and support both types of production in the Palouse bioregion, highlighting an area for continued compatible development.