There is an ever-present level of complexity that comes with soil fertility and crop nutrition. Understanding how the right balance of different nutrients impacts — both positively and negatively — how those nutrients eventually result in crop yields remains a complex but critical endeavor. For more than 70 years, agronomists have turned to Mulder’s Chart to see how nutrients interact with each other.
Mulder’s Chart helps to visualize what is happening in the soil between macro- and micronutrients. What’s most interesting is that without the right balance, some nutrients can antagonize others, making them unavailable for the plant. The idea of “more is more” is certainly not the case when it comes to crop nutrition. Rather, healthy, balanced soil is a way to improve the efficiency and availability of the nutrients in the soil which improve plant health and yield.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution for balanced crop nutrition, but a soil test is the starting point to determine current nutrient levels and what is needed to get the full soil profile in balance. The key to maximizing the nutrients in the soil is to ensure each nutrient is in balance with the other nutrients. For instance, if soils are low in nitrogen and excessive nitrogen is added each spring, it could limit the availability and uptake of key micronutrients like boron and copper.
See how Mulder’s Chart illustrates the relationships between different nutrients in the soil.
