Certified Crop Advisers guide growers in smart nutrient management

April 8, 2026

Certified Crop Advisers (CCAs) use soil test data to guide nutrient management, helping growers apply fertilizers efficiently and promote yields.
Photo/Western Region CCA

By Karl Wyant

Certified Crop Advisers, or CCAs, are broadly trained and tested for their expert knowledge in a variety of important agricultural categories, including nutrient and fertilizer management, and are critical for writing nutrient management plans for growers. A judicious use of input dollars is especially important when crop prices are unpredictable.

One of the best ways growers can manage fertilizer plans is by leaning on soil test data and practical nutrient management advice. While these tools don’t eliminate risk, they do help make sure every dollar spent on fertility has a clear purpose.

Soil test data help take the guesswork out of fertility decisions by separating what the crop needs from what it doesn’t. Instead of blanket applications, nutrients can be targeted where they will deliver a return, and applications can be avoided where nutrients are less likely to result in improved profitability. A CCA can help connect the dots between soil test sample data and a practical fertilizer plan.

Good nutrient management advice builds on soil test data by translating numbers into practical decisions. An experienced agronomy recommendation considers crop removal, yield goals, soil type, and weather and salinity risks, not just textbook rates. That kind of advice helps growers prioritize inputs that promote yield first, while trimming back on nutrients that are already sufficient. In tight markets, knowing where you can safely cut without sacrificing productivity is just as valuable as knowing where you can’t.

With soil test information in hand, fertilizer purchases can be planned more strategically. Fields with strong nutrient levels may allow for delayed applications or reduced rates, freeing up capital when it’s most needed. Over time, consistent soil testing also helps avoid nutrient mining or overapplication, both of which create long term financial risk.

CCAs in California can also help growers comply with their local nitrogen management plans, or NMPs. CCAs with their Nitrogen Specialty Certification have NMP training and can implement and sign off on nitrogen fertilizer plans for growers who are required to report. This is another way CCAs use their knowledge of nutrient and fertilizer management to work for you.

Another example of how the CCA program is working to serve growers: A team of experts and farmers have been developing a new Organic CCA Specialty Certification. The Organic Specialty will emphasize the need for knowledge regarding compliance and maintaining certification that is unique to the organic space.

For more details, visit the following article on the new specialty: bit.ly/cca-today.

For more information about the CCA program in California and Arizona, visit www.wrcca.org.

Karl Wyant is director of agronomy at Nutrien. Questions may be directed to info@wrcca.org.

In this issue:

Reprint with credit to California Farm Bureau. For image use, email agalert@cfbf.com