As spring wheat planting gets underway, a soil scientist reminds farmers not to cut back on an important nutrient….phosphorus.

In the chemical age of agriculture that began in the 1960s, potassium chloride (KCl), the common salt often referred to as potash, is widely used as a major fertilizer in the Corn Belt without regard to the huge soil reserves that were once recognized for their fundamental importance to soil fertility.

Soybean yield increases have not kept pace with those of corn in farmers' fields in recent years.

Due to higher yields, commodity prices and crop input costs, growers are reviewing all potential barriers to top grain production, including micronutrient deficiencies.

With a promising harvest under way, it’s a good time to replenish fields with phosphorus and potassium, says Fabian Fernandez, University of Illinois Extension specialist in soil fertility and plant nutrition.

Fertilizer application and no-till soil sampling during fall months can be efficient and time-saving practices, and are often the first step to developing an appropriate nutrient management strategy, report AgriEnergy Resources and the Potash and Phosphate Institute.