Use agronomic soil testing and field performance to make smarter fertility investments that support crop profitability.
- Use agronomic soil testing, yield results and field history to identify nutrient needs before committing to next season’s crop fertilizer program.
- Evaluate soil pH, secondary crop nutrients and micronutrients to identify potential limitations to nutrient availability and crop performance.
- Wilbur-Ellis recommends aligning fertilizer rates and application timing with realistic yield goals while maintaining flexibility as growing conditions change.
Every field has different fertility needs, and getting the most value from your crop fertilizer program starts with understanding those differences.
Yield results, soil nutrient levels and field history all provide valuable insights into what your operation needs to reach its yield goals. With tight margins and unpredictable growing conditions, evaluating these factors can help identify where additional fertility investments are justified, and where they may not deliver a return.
“The first step is getting an idea of where we’re at before we make a plan,” says Tyler Kidd, Wilbur-Ellis principal sales agronomist.” Growers need to decide what crop they’re going to plant, what kind of yield they think they can make and fertilize accordingly.”
Here are four considerations to help you build a more targeted and economical fertility program.
1. Let performance guide your fertility plan
Yield maps and crop removal estimates provide valuable starting points for understanding nutrient needs. However, a high-yielding field and one that struggled through drought or other stresses may have very different nutrient requirements than the next crop.
For example, a crop that produced below expectations may have removed fewer nutrients than anticipated. But that doesn’t necessarily mean those crop nutrients remain available. Rainfall, soil conditions and other factors can influence what remains in the root zone.
Wilbur-Ellis’s Crop Nutrient Removal Guide provides estimated nutrient removal rates for a wide range of crops and yield levels. This can be a useful reference point when evaluating fertility needs alongside soil test results and field history.
Kidd recommends conducting agronomic soil testing that represents the full range of conditions across an operation rather than assuming a few samples tell the whole story.
“Sample a field with a high-yielding crop, one that received less water and maybe didn’t grow a crop that yielded as high, or some other problem areas,” Kidd says. “You don’t want to sample two similar fields and treat the whole farm according to those two tests.”
Experts at North Dakota State University advise: Before sampling, divide a field with problem areas into zones based on visual observations and the history of plant stands or crop yields, then sample each zone separately based on its unique characteristics.1
2. Look beyond the primary crop nutrients
Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) typically receive the most attention in fertility planning, but they’re only part of the equation.
Secondary nutrients, including sulfur, calcium and magnesium, and micronutrients such as zinc, manganese and boron, all play important roles in crop development. Soil pH also affects nutrient availability, meaning adequate nutrient levels in the soil don’t always translate into adequate plant uptake.2
Before adjusting fertilizer rates, consider whether other nutrient limitations or soil conditions could be affecting crop performance. Applying more of one nutrient may offer little benefit if another factor is restricting yield potential.
Agronomic soil testing and expertise can help identify these limitations and determine which corrective actions are warranted. The goal is to address the factors most likely to influence crop performance rather than applying crop nutrients simply because they’ve been included in previous fertility programs.
3. Match crop fertilizer investments to realistic yield potential
The most aggressive fertility program isn’t necessarily the most profitable.
Water availability, crop selection, soil conditions and realistic yield expectations should all influence how much you invest in fertility inputs. Applying nutrients for a yield goal that growing conditions cannot support may unnecessarily increase production costs.
In water-limited regions, Kidd says growers often manage financial risk by making essential nutrient investments early while reserving some nitrogen applications until crop potential becomes clearer.
“We’ll try to get our P out early,” Kidd explains. “Then a lot of the N we’ll put through the pivot or through the drip. That way, you know you have the potential to make a crop before you get all your money out there.”
For operations with irrigation and the ability to make in-season applications, this approach provides flexibility to adjust nitrogen investments as conditions develop.
While application strategies vary by crop and region, the principle remains the same: Match nutrient investments to achievable production goals and adjust when conditions warrant.
Because your soil is unique to your region – and your fields – Wilbur-Ellis offers the tools and experience to help you understand your soil’s nutrient requirements and keep up with that increased demand.
4. Evaluate product value, not just price
A lower price doesn’t always mean a better value, and a higher-priced product isn’t necessarily a better investment.
Before adding any product to your program, consider whether it addresses a documented need and whether trustworthy field research supports its potential benefits under similar growing conditions.
Kidd cautions against relying on products that promise results without credible supporting evidence. A trusted agronomic adviser can help growers evaluate product claims, interpret soil and tissue test results and determine which investments offer the greatest potential return.
Build a plan with room to adjust
A successful fertility program starts with understanding field performance and identifying opportunities to make smarter nutrient investments. Agronomic soil testing provides valuable information for many fertility decisions, but the timing of sampling matters. Testing closer to planting may be beneficial for assessing nitrogen availability in areas where winter precipitation or other factors can significantly change soil nutrient levels.
A profitable fertility program isn’t necessarily about applying more. It’s about understanding what each field needs and making informed investments that support yield potential without unnecessary expense.
Talk with your local Wilbur-Ellis agronomist to develop a field-specific fertility plan for 2027. Learn more at www.wilburellisagribusiness.com.
References
1 Kalwar N, et al. 2025. “Soil Testing Unproductive Areas.” North Dakota State University Extension. Available at: https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/publications/soil-testing-unproductive-areas.
2 Geissinger M, et al. 2024. “Crop Nutrients 101. University of Wisconsin-Madison. Available at: https://cropsandsoils.extension.wisc.edu/articles/crop-nutrients-101/.