Nutrients are required by various amounts for plant growth. The level of each nutrient in the soil is the result of many factors. Some of these factors include soil geology and formation factors such as erosion or deposition. Other factors such as crop removal, fertilization, and manure applications were man made. To learn more about the level of various nutrients and soil properties, we have summarized the test levels for this region. When you look at the entire region you can see patterns in nutrient levels on a grand scale. Some soil properties and nutrient level are closely related. In the figures, you can see that as you go west across the region, the percentage of low organic matter samples increase, just as the percentage of low boron samples increase. This is because most of the boron is held in the organic portion of soil.

Soil pH and zinc levels are also closely related. As you go west, the percentage of samples having <1.0 ppm Zinc increases, while the percentage of samples with a pH >7.3 increases. One reason this occurs is that as soil pH increases the solubility of many micronutrients such as zinc decreases.

These regional nutrient summaries should be used in educating growers about the possibility of nutrient deficiencies in their area. They should not use these summaries to make nutrient recommendations on individual fields. While soil testing for micronutrients is a valuable tool, there is limited university research to crop responses to micronutrient fertilizers. Plant nutrient analysis should always be used in addition to a soil test to confirm a micronutrient deficiency.

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