The Balancing Act

For over forty years I have been compiling data on plant nutrition, amendments, and Organic acids.  When computers became user friendly back in the ‘80s I started entering this information into a spreadsheet so I could make sense out of the numbers.  The data was compiled by crop, initial soil sample, fertilizer applied, and yields.  I was trying to determine the limiting factors in crop production.  This search has continued for many years and the data base has reached close to 80000 enters.

Here are some of the findings:

1. Humic acid can increase as well as decrease crop production. This may be hard to understand, but the over application of Humic acid will decrease yield.

2. Fulvic acid is one product that constantly will increase crop yields

3. The ratio of Iron and Manganese becomes more and more important in high sodium soils

4. Calcium Magnesium ratios are as important in crop yields as NPK.

5. Secondary and micro nutrients along with Humic/Fulvic acid recommendations remain very constant for virtually all crops.

The only true variation in nutrients will be Nitrogen, Phosphate, Potassium, and Sulfur.

-Dennis Reisch