Soil Fertility
There are a lot of moving pieces when it comes to managing soil fertility including soil testing, interpreting soil test results to make fertilizer recommendations, understanding different crop nutrients needs, accounting for crop nutrient removal, knowing how to manage different fertilize sources, and being able to identify crop nutrient deficiencies. Find more information on soil fertility management for crop production in Iowa.
Timely Insights on Soil Fertility
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November 4, 2025Content Author
Soil testing is an essential tool for managing phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and other nutrients. In Iowa and many states, the units reported in a soil test are expressed in parts per million (ppm) of the elements (not oxides P2O5 or K2O, as in fertilizers) of dry or moist soil depending on the test. Different test methods can be used for a specific nutrient.
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October 15, 2025Content Author
With low crop prices and increased fertilizer costs, farmers are wondering how best to allocate fertilizer dollars this fall. The following articles were posted in the fall of 2024, but all still apply to today’s situation and provide a list of best management practices (BMPs) in order of significance.
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August 11, 2025Authors
The Humboldt County Extension Office will host a Fertilizer and Finance workshop on Wednesday, Aug. 27, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at their location, 727 Sumner Ave, Humboldt.
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August 6, 2025Authors
Iowa State University’s Northern Research and Demonstration Farm will host its Fall Field Day on Thursday, Sept. 4.
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July 25, 2025Content Author
There is still time to register for the 2025 Nitrogen Use Efficiency Workshop to be held in Ames at the Iowa State University Alumni Center August 4-6.
