SOIL FERTILITY

Crops need nutrients just like people do. A fertile soil

will contain all the major nutrients for basic plant nutrition (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorus, and
potassium), as well as other nutrients needed in smaller quantities (e.g., calcium,
magnesium, sulfur, iron, zinc, copper, boron, molybdenum, nickel). Usually a fertile soil will
also have some organic matter that improves soil structure, soil moisture retention, and
also nutrient retention, and a pH between 6 and 7. Unfortunately, many soils do not have
adequate levels of all the necessary plant nutrients, or conditions in the soil are unfavorable
for plant uptake of certain nutrients.
Soil scientists that focus on soil fertility are interested in managing nutrients to improve
crop production. They focus on using commercial fertilizers, manures, waste products, and
composts to add nutrients and organic matter to the soil. Sometime they also add
chemicals that change the pH to a more optimum level for nutrient availability to plants.
Soil fertility experts must also be careful to ensure that practices are environmentally
sustainable. Inappropriate management of nutrients can lead to contamination of lakes,
rivers, streams, and groundwater. In addition, adding amendments to the soil is expensive
and cuts into the profitability of farming operations, not to mention that toxic levels of
nutrients can be as bad as or worse than too little nutrients for the plants.
Check out this fun interactive game on the Nitrogen Cycle.
NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES
There are 17 essential plant nutrients, three come from air and water (carbon, oxygen, and
hydrogen) and 14 come from the soil. The table below describes the essential and
beneficial elements obtained from the soil. Macronutrients are needed in high quantity,
micronutrients are needed in small amounts, and beneficial elements are essential or
beneficial to some plants, but not all.

Absorbed Function Deficiency

Form
Macronutrients

Nitrogen N NO3-, Protein and enzyme component General yellowing of leave

NH4 +
stunted growth, often olde
leaves affected first.
Phosphorus P HPO4-, Membranes, energy, DNA Difficult to visualize until
HPO42- severe. Dwarfed or stunted
plants. Older leaves turn
dark green or reddish-
purple.
Potassium K K +
Osmotic balance Older leaves may wilt or
look burned. Yellowing
between veins begins at th
base of leaf and goes
inward from the leaf edges
Calcium Ca Ca 2+
Cell structure Fruit/flower and new leave
 are distorted or irregular.
When severe, leaves will b
necrotic near the base.
Leaves can be cupped
downward.
Occurs more often at low
pH.
Magnesium Mg Mg 2+
Chlorophyll, enzyme activation Older leaves will turn yello
and brown around the edg
of the leaf leaving a green
center. May appear
puckered.
Occurs more often at low
pH.
Sulfur S SO42- Protein and enzyme component Yellowing leaves starts wit
younger leaves.
Micronutrients

Iron Fe Fe2+, Fe3+ Enzyme function, required for chlorophyll Yellowing between veins
production that start with younger
leaves. Occurs more often
at high pH.
Manganese Mn Mn2+ Enzyme component Yellowing between veins
that start with younger
leaves. Pattern is not as
distinct as with Fe
deficiency, may appear in
patches or freckled. Occur
more often at high pH.
Zinc Zn Zn 2+
Enzyme component Yellowing between veins o
younger leaves. Terminal
leaves may be rosette.
Occurs more often at high
pH.
Boron B H2BO3- Cell wall Terminal buds die. Light
general yellowing. B
requirements are very plan
specific.
Copper Cu Cu 2+
Enzyme function Dark green stunted leaves
Curled leaves often bend
downwards. Sometimes
wilted with light overall
 yellowing of leaves. Occurs
more often at high pH.
Molybdenum Mo MoO42- Enzyme function Yellowing of older leaves
and light green rest of the
plant. It usually appears a
N deficiency due to role in
nitrate assimilation and in
legumes in N-fixing
bacteria. Occurs more
often at low pH.
Chlorine Cl Cl -
Osmotic balance, plant compounds Almost never deficient.
Abnormally shaped leaves
Yellowing and wilting of
young leaves.
Nickel Ni Ni 2+
Enzyme component Almost never deficient.
Beneficial Benefit

Silicon Si increased pest and pathogen resistance,

drought resistance, heavy metal
tolerance, higher quality and yield of crop
Cobalt Co Co 2+
Required for N-fixation by bacteria
associated with legumes
Sodium Na Na +
Required for photosynthesis in C4 and
CAM species adapted to warm climates

SOIL TEST INTERPRETATIONS

 Soil testing evaluates “plant
available” elements from the soil. Some nutrients are in forms that are not readily available
to plants, so when a soil test is performed only the available forms of the element are
measured. Due to the wide range of soils, it is difficult to have one method for all soils. It
is also difficult for any method to report the actual amount available to plants as all plants
will take up elements differently. Testing labs across the United States, and elsewhere,
may use different test procedures for different soils. However, most soil testing will involve
a soil pH measurement. An assessment of soil organic matter and lime requirement may
also be performed. Soil pH is very important for understanding nutrient availability to
plants, and it affects the interpretation of the values reported in the soil test.

There are many factors to consider when producing a crop or growing a garden. How much
fertilizer to apply and when to apply it are some of the decisions that must be made. These
decisions depend on the crop to be grown, the soil type, and the environmental conditions
under which it is grown. Soil testing laboratories associated with universities have
conducted years of field and greenhouse research with various crops and soils to determine
how a particular crop responds to soil test levels of plant nutrients. Most laboratories use a
rating scale that includes “Low”, “Medium”, “High”, and “Very High” to describe the soil test
level of a particular nutrient for a particular crop in a particular soil type. When a nutrient
level is low or very low level, a fertilizer containing that nutrient is usually recommended.
Once a soil test rating reaches “High” or “Very High”, then the grower can save money by
not applying any more of that nutrient. By not applying when soil test levels are high and by
creating rating scales that are specific to general soil types, the environment can be
protected from excessive nutrients.
NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT

The goal of soil nutrient

management is to sustainably produce profitable crops. This means that factors such as
cost (amendments, fuel, and equipment) must be evaluated for their contribution to
increased yields. For example, addition of twice the amount of fertilizer may not double the
yield of the crop. So, a farmer must determine if the cost of additional fertilizer will be
repaid by the predicted additional yield. Furthermore, the farmer must always be thinking
about how inadequate or excessive management practices will affect the soil over time.
One of the major causes of erosion or soil loss is due to destruction of soil structure, which
can be attributable to practices such as intensive tillage (soil mixing), excessive vehicular
traffic, excessive removal of plant material (fallow fields), and depletion of soil nutrients,
especially nitrogen.