Farmers in the eastern Corn Belt and Northeast struggled through a tough 2017 growing season and compromised crop nutrition that started with a cold wet spring in many areas. Joe Rickard, northeast regional agronomist for Winfield United, gives an idea on what might be ahead for 2018.

Nitrogen, potassium and micro-nutrient shortages were the biggest concerns in 2017, based on analyses of more than 25,000 tissue samples taken across the country and compared to 2016 data. If this spring’s weather is cold and wet, you could very well see the same issues, he says.

“Planting when the soil is above 50 degrees helps alleviate some of it,” he says. “And, use a good starter program to get crops started off right.” Get your macros (N, P and K) right first, Rickard advises, and then focus on secondary nutrients.

Key issues by crop
• Corn. Nearly 82% of tissue-sampled plants were short on zinc. Sulfur deficiencies also are increasingly showing up. Corn silage had deficits in manganese, nitrogen and zinc. Potassium, boron and sulfur deficiencies were also common in 2017.

In northeast Ohio, New York and points north, early-season zinc, manganese and boron deficiencies were common. With high soil phosphorus levels in particular, you may need to add more zinc as a foliar application with fungicide or herbicide. That’s where early-season tissue sampling can clue you in.

In areas with too much water, early-season N deficiencies were common. Using an N stabilizer and following the 4R (right fertilizer source, right rate, right time, right place) management program helps minimize that risk, he stresses.

The Winfield agronomist is seeing more farms side-dressing with 28% solution at the right time. “Nobody’s putting it all on up front,” he says. “A little bit pre-plant, more at V4 to V6 (5-leaf stage) when row number are being established. A few are even going to V10 to V12 with N with drops.”

Tweek N rates by hybrid, he adds. “You’ll see a yield response.”

Early-season N deficiencies were fewer further east in Pennsylvania, New York and where soils were warmer. The right N stabilizer depends on N type, he adds. Rickard expects to see an upshift to more urea this year. “Nothing’s wrong with that,” he says, “as long as you use a urease inhibitor.”

• Soybeans. In 2017, more than 65% of soybeans tissue sampled lacked sufficient copper levels to meet plant health needs. Copper is a key nutrient for protein synthesis, cell wall formation and many enzyme systems. Most soybean samples were also low in potassium and manganese.

• Alfalfa. Nearly 90% of the 300-plus alfalfa samples that were analyzed suffered low levels of calcium in 2017. Calcium aids in N uptake and nutrient absorption. Most alfalfa samples were also short on magnesium and K.

• Wheat. Copper deficiency showed up in nearly 85% of sampled wheat plants last year. Limited availability of copper can lead to aborted heads and yield loss. Zinc and magnesium deficiencies also showed up more than in 2016.

• Potatoes. More than 80% of this tuber crop samples were deficient in zinc and or copper last year. Zinc aids in N metabolism and affects starch content. Sample results also revealed a common shortage of P and manganese.

Tissue vs. soil test?
When you pull a leaf or tissue sample, it gives a clue as to what’s going on in that plant. But when you see what’s going on, it’s often too late to make in-season changes, Rickard says.  

Tissue testing isn’t meant to replace soil testing. “Integrating it with soil tests done every three to four years is the best approach,” he says. “Doing tissue samples every year is proactive management.”

Check out how Kirby Farm Markets used tissue testing to pick up on vegetable nutrient needs. Read "Aiming for healthier soils feeds healthier crops" online now.