It's like looking for a needle in a hay stack!

October 11, 2016

My travels across the US brings me in contact with all types of growers; Row Crop and Specialty Crop growers both large and well let’s just say not so large. One thing that seems consistent however is that you’re mighty good at what you do. Still, with that being the case, many are on a continual search for something better. Solutions toward a better yield, maybe better quality or a production hurdle that they can’t seem to get pass. Return on investment leads the desire more now than in my previous 35 years in this industry. I find that for most the limitation is not with the big things that you focus much of your time on like your equipment or seed choices. It’s generally not with your choice of pesticides, your choice of tillage nor your choice of nitrogen source but more often than not it ends up being a small detail that becomes the Achilles heel in your production system. In the early 1900’s Justus Von Liebig made popular earlier work, accomplished by German Agronomist Carl Sprengel, describing it best with his analogy of a staved Barrel and his explanation of the Greatest Limiting Factor.  Von Liebig describes the contributions to production being likened to the staves of a barrel. Each stave length representing the degree of completeness for supplying each required contribution like Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium or other nutrients and I like to expand that concept to include such things as Growing Degree Days, Moisture or Planting Dates. Von Liebig suggests that whichever production component supplies the crop requirement the least or in his analogy, the shorter stave, becomes your greatest limiting factor. For instance, you can spend all kinds of money on every other component of production but if you don’t sample for micros let’s say and your soil lacks the necessary one pound of Boron or 6 pounds of Zinc then your production may be limited by those minor deficiencies.  Something that I point out to my customers is that the Greatest Limiting Factor actually is your Maximum Level of Production. Hundreds of Thousands or perhaps Millions of Dollars stand at risk by not managing the limiting factors. IF today a bag of Seed corn has the genetic potential to produce 600 bushels per acre then we should become Risk Managers seeking out the Limiting Factor. If we don’t we, once we open the bag we automatically lose yield by default. Micros are often the forgotten component. It seems that when money gets tight micros are the first thing to be overlooked or left out of your nutrient program. I see hundreds of soil samples a year come across my desk that don’t even report microelements. You must remember that many, if not most, metabolic functions are impacted by micro elements. I liken it to the analogy that you can’t pull an implement through the field without a hitch pin any more than maximizing production without micros. If the truth be known, you can economize inputs more safely by decreasing your nitrogen input rather than your microelements! Another limitation that many overlook is pH or Parts Hydrogen in the soil. The pH value on the lab report is more than an indication of how much lime you might need but it is also a reflection on how available the resident soil nutrients will be.  Part Hydrogen can alter the solubility of many nutrients affecting their State of Oxidation, making nutrient more or less soluble (available). The pH of the soil can also liberate antagonists in the same instance. Let me give you some examples of both. Iron is most soluble in the lower pH ranges and has an identity of a molecule possessing 2+ charges, the plant preferred uptake form of Iron. Increasing the soil pH above 6.5 and higher alters the state of oxidation, favoring both chemical and microbial oxidation which promotes a molecular change to a 3+ and 4+ molecule rendering it less soluble yet favorable to the formation of insoluble complexes such as Iron Phosphate. When this happens neither the iron nor phosphorus is available to the crop. Another example would be Zinc. Zinc is most available at a pH of 5.0 yet on more acid soils Zinc is absorbed by compounds of Iron and Aluminum where as in alkaline soils Zinc can be absorbed on the clay complex of some soils. Yet another example would be the solubility of Aluminum. In highly weathered soils, quite often Aluminum resides in higher levels. When pH gets below 5.0 it becomes very soluble and due to the 3+ charge of the molecule, it becomes a favored complexing partner to Phosphorus, forming an insoluble Aluminum Phosphate compound, again converting available phosphorus to unavailable phosphorus. You can see how pH has a much bigger impact on solubility and availability than one might think. I’m including chart that provides an example of nutrient availability at different pH ranges. This can be a helpful tool when looking at your soil test reports.  Something else you might wish to consult is Mulder’s Chart of Nutrient Interactions, you can find it on the web quite easily. My last comment is on the interrelationship of nutrients. When you consider a single nutrient, you must remember that EVERY SINGULAR nutrient depends on other supporting nutrients to help meet its full potential. I have spent a lot of time researching this subject and to spare you the time yourself here is a list of the more common nutrients and their support crew.   NitrogenManganese, Sulfur, Molybdenum, Iron, Carbon, Oxygen, Hydrogen, Phosphorus and Copper PhosphorusMagnesium, Calcium, Copper, Iron, Zinc, Boron, Molybdenum, Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen and Manganese PotassiumMagnesium, Manganese, Iron, Calcium and Sodium CalciumPhosphorus, Boron, Ammonium N, Potassium, Magnesium and Cobalt MagnesiumIron, Sulfur, Manganese and Copper SulfurPotassium, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen ZincPhosphorus, Molybdenum and Boron ManganeseMolybdenum, Calcium, Iron, Copper and Magnesium IronPhosphorus, Potassium, Copper, Manganese, Molybdenum and Magnesium CopperNitrogen, Iron, Phosphorus and Molybdenum BoronPhosphorus, Calcium and Molybdenum MolybdenumNitrogen, Phosphorus, Zinc, Manganese, Copper and Cobalt   If for no more reason than those just outlined you must consider every component of production, even the smallest of details. The next time you look over a soil test report, start with the small details first then work your way to the major items, you might be surprised what needles you find in the haystack!- Jay Castleman, Specialty Crop Market Manager

My travels across the US brings me in contact with all types of growers; Row Crop and Specialty Crop growers both large and well let’s just say not so large. One thing that seems consistent however is that you’re mighty good at what you do. Still, with that being the case, many are on a continual search for something better.

Solutions toward a better yield, maybe better quality or a production hurdle that they can’t seem to get pass. Return on investment leads the desire more now than in my previous 35 years in this industry. I find that for most the limitation is not with the big things that you focus much of your time on like your equipment or seed choices. It’s generally not with your choice of pesticides, your choice of tillage nor your choice of nitrogen source but more often than not it ends up being a small detail that becomes the Achilles heel in your production system.

In the early 1900’s Justus Von Liebig made popular earlier work, accomplished by German Agronomist Carl Sprengel, describing it best with his analogy of a staved Barrel and his explanation of the Greatest Limiting Factor.  Von Liebig describes the contributions to production being likened to the staves of a barrel. Each stave length representing the degree of completeness for supplying each required contribution like Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium or other nutrients and I like to expand that concept to include such things as Growing Degree Days, Moisture or Planting Dates.

Von Liebig suggests that whichever production component supplies the crop requirement the least or in his analogy, the shorter stave, becomes your greatest limiting factor. For instance, you can spend all kinds of money on every other component of production but if you don’t sample for micros let’s say and your soil lacks the necessary one pound of Boron or 6 pounds of Zinc then your production may be limited by those minor deficiencies.  Something that I point out to my customers is that the Greatest Limiting Factor actually is your Maximum Level of Production . Hundreds of Thousands or perhaps Millions of Dollars stand at risk by not managing the limiting factors.

IF today a bag of Seed corn has the genetic potential to produce 600 bushels per acre then we should become Risk Managers seeking out the Limiting Factor. If we don’t we, once we open the bag we automatically lose yield by default.

Micros are often the forgotten component. It seems that when money gets tight micros are the first thing to be overlooked or left out of your nutrient program. I see hundreds of soil samples a year come across my desk that don’t even report microelements. You must remember that many, if not most, metabolic functions are impacted by micro elements. I liken it to the analogy that you can’t pull an implement through the field without a hitch pin any more than maximizing production without micros. If the truth be known, you can economize inputs more safely by decreasing your nitrogen input rather than your microelements!

Another limitation that many overlook is pH or Parts Hydrogen in the soil. The pH value on the lab report is more than an indication of how much lime you might need but it is also a reflection on how available the resident soil nutrients will be.  Part Hydrogen can alter the solubility of many nutrients affecting their State of Oxidation, making nutrient more or less soluble (available). The pH of the soil can also liberate antagonists in the same instance. Let me give you some examples of both.

Iron is most soluble in the lower pH ranges and has an identity of a molecule possessing 2+ charges, the plant preferred uptake form of Iron. Increasing the soil pH above 6.5 and higher alters the state of oxidation, favoring both chemical and microbial oxidation which promotes a molecular change to a 3+ and 4+ molecule rendering it less soluble yet favorable to the formation of insoluble complexes such as Iron Phosphate. When this happens neither the iron nor phosphorus is available to the crop.

Another example would be Zinc. Zinc is most available at a pH of 5.0 yet on more acid soils Zinc is absorbed by compounds of Iron and Aluminum where as in alkaline soils Zinc can be absorbed on the clay complex of some soils.

Yet another example would be the solubility of Aluminum. In highly weathered soils, quite often Aluminum resides in higher levels. When pH gets below 5.0 it becomes very soluble and due to the 3+ charge of the molecule, it becomes a favored complexing partner to Phosphorus, forming an insoluble Aluminum Phosphate compound, again converting available phosphorus to unavailable phosphorus.

You can see how pH has a much bigger impact on solubility and availability than one might think. I’m including chart that provides an example of nutrient availability at different pH ranges. This can be a helpful tool when looking at your soil test reports.  Something else you might wish to consult is Mulder’s Chart of Nutrient Interactions , you can find it on the web quite easily.

My last comment is on the interrelationship of nutrients. When you consider a single nutrient, you must remember that EVERY SINGULAR nutrient depends on other supporting nutrients to help meet its full potential. I have spent a lot of time researching this subject and to spare you the time yourself here is a list of the more common nutrients and their support crew.

 

Nitrogen
 Manganese, Sulfur, Molybdenum, Iron, Carbon, Oxygen, Hydrogen, Phosphorus and Copper

Phosphorus
 Magnesium, Calcium, Copper, Iron, Zinc, Boron, Molybdenum, Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen and Manganese

Potassium
 Magnesium, Manganese, Iron, Calcium and Sodium

Calcium
 Phosphorus, Boron, Ammonium N, Potassium, Magnesium and Cobalt

Magnesium
 Iron, Sulfur, Manganese and Copper

Sulfur
 Potassium, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen

Zinc
 Phosphorus, Molybdenum and Boron

Manganese
 Molybdenum, Calcium, Iron, Copper and Magnesium

Iron
 Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper, Manganese, Molybdenum and Magnesium

Copper
 Nitrogen, Iron, Phosphorus and Molybdenum

Boron
 Phosphorus, Calcium and Molybdenum

Molybdenum
 Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Zinc, Manganese, Copper and Cobalt

 

If for no more reason than those just outlined you must consider every component of production, even the smallest of details.

- Jay Castleman, Specialty Crop Market Manager

Weather Stressed Crops: Solutions for Excessive Rainfall

By mackensey.kempton • November 4, 2026
It has been a soggy year for a significant number of growers, and lately my conversations keep coming back to one topic: crops stressed by too much rain. Excessive rainfall typically causes the following: · Leaching and/or denitrification cause the loss of nitrogen, sulfur, boron, and molybdenum. · Root systems become oxygen starved. · Nutrient uptake slows because roots are damaged or inactive. · Photosynthesis and energy production decline. · Disease pressure often increases. The goal after a wet period is to restore energy production, root activity, nutrient uptake, and nitrogen metabolism. Each of the following nutrients plays a specific role in that recovery:  · Nitrogen helps rebuild chlorophyll and vegetative growth, often the most deficient nutrient after heavy rain. · Sulfur is critical for amino acid formation and nitrogen efficiency. · Potassium helps water regulation, stress tolerance, enzyme activation, and carbohydrate movement throughout the plant. · Magnesium is the core component of chlorophyll; supports photosynthesis recovery. · Molybdenum supports nitrate reduction and nitrogen assimilation. · Manganese also supports photosynthesis as well as antioxidant systems. · Zinc supports hormone production and new root growth. · Boron supports sugar movement and reproductive development. · Calcium helps rebuild cell walls and root tips. · Iron supports chlorophyll production, especially in saturated soils with a higher pH. Creating a treatment that contains everything can be challenging but luckily for us we have the products to make much of this happen! According to my research, the nutrients that provide the greatest impact after excessive rainfall would be nitrogen, sulfur, potassium, magnesium, molybdenum, manganese, and zinc. These work together to restore photosynthesis, root growth, energy production, nitrogen metabolism, stress tolerance, antioxidant production, and carbohydrate movement. When it comes down to it, stress is stress. Even though this paper focuses on excessive rainfall, most of my suggestions work for plants under any stress condition. Our RePAC technology is particularly important following stressed conditions because the acetate base along with the potassium, magnesium, and calcium nutrient partners not only contribute carbon and support energy metabolism but restore stomatal function and nutrient movement throughout the plant, support photosynthesis recovery and help rebuild cell walls and root tips that strongly influence new growth. I broke it down for these common crops: · Corn: N, S, K, Mg, Mn, Mo. · Soybeans: K, Mg, Mn, Mo, B, Co. · Peanuts: K, Ca, Mg, B, Mo. · Cotton: K, Mg, Mn, B. · Watermelon/Tomatoes: K, Ca, Mg, B. A one-fits-all treatment would be: Ingredients (per acre) · 2 quarts of 21% N · 1 quart of K-Flex · 1 quart of Microzone Mg · 1 quart of CropMax Directions 1. Apply with 15 plus gallons of total solution per acre through ground or aerial application. 2. If you use a drone to apply this mixture, reduce the rate of nutritional products to achieve a 50:50 water-to-product ratio. Every year is different, but if you run into crop conditions brought on by weather-related influences, contact me and we will work through the treatment options based on your crop and environmental conditions!

Winning by a Hair, Revisited

By mackensey.kempton • November 3, 2026
Back in November of 2024, I created an article titled, “Winning by a Hair”. This November, I wanted to expand on the lessons from the past two years. Recalling the story of the tortoise and the hare reminds us that slow and steady may win the race or just leave us out in the cold. The words slow and steady can again be attached to awaiting our spring planting as well, and even though harvest is fresh in our memories, so is the opportunity to recall what worked well with our crop plan, and what we may need to adjust for 2027. With farming being a series of lessons from the first crop we plant through to the 48th crop we will plant next year, it is becoming more urgent to improve from what we learned. As we look back on what may have caused stress in 2026, for both crops and us, it is important to understand why and how we responded to these stresses. More effectively we need to consider what we learned from these opportunities. For those who struggled through a wet spring, how did your later-planted crops respond? When crops had ample moisture enhancing a perfect seeding time, only to collapse from a month of drought, was there a recovery opportunity? In areas that have witnessed yields never achieved before, did we get a chance to discover what triggers or events amplified these successes? Every result reveals a learning opportunity for us to take advantage of if we choose! “Winning By a Hair, Revisited” can fit multiple connotations, but I wanted to expand on how your crops succeed by a hair, or many hairs. Combing through what we continue to learn directed me to step back to early spring, as we were seeding the 2026 crops and germination began. The emergence of the radical root initiated the brains of each plant, reaching into the soil for moisture and nutrition. The journey that started is what we have the power to influence throughout the year. Nutrients placed close to each seed must be safe for the seed, available to the plant, and balanced. Helping each seed reach its genetic potential requires both these conditions and a clear understanding of nutrient availability and uptake. As this root continues to express itself, it allows sprouts and cotyledons the ability to emerge above ground to enable photosynthesis, thereby maintaining and feeding the plant and root. The plant, although independent, relies on our management to achieve greater success. As roots grow and absorb naturally available nutrients and applied fertilizer, they reflect the quality of our crop management. This is where we can add a little more information into the equation. Understanding the value of orthophosphate as the only form a plant can utilize, and having the ability to protect it from tying up in the soil is another crop-planning strategy. Humic, fulvic and organic acid products continue to be introduced and incorporated into cropping plans. The high chelation value that protects phosphorous is only one of the effects, with a greater expression being that of increased root tips and hairs. Having great root proliferation and growth allows the crop to engage in microbial feeding as well. Measurements of increased root tip numbers and root lengths indicate that humic acids and ALPINE Bio-K can help crops access more nutrients from the soil. Dr. John Strauss, a director of Agronomy in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has documented that a fertilizer blend of N, P, K vs only N, P causes a synergistic effect of over 9%. This begins a process of nutrient use efficiency out of the gate. This engrained into the understanding that potassium is a plants nutrient facilitator, allowing plants the ability to transport fertility, as well as improving water management. This is where potassium’s role brings the theme of “Winning by a Hair, Revisited” into focus. The increased turgor pressure and stomatal activity begins to allow plants to manage the weather effects discussed in paragraph two. It is also documented that the nutrient and sugar transport enabled by potassium feeds not only the plant, but the soil microorganisms as well. Knowing this, we continue to learn that as microbes move in and out of the roots, their exit increases root hair length and efficiency, which are instrumental in water uptake and management. It is through the balanced fertility program that our ALPINE Bio-K amplifies a plant’s ability to create greater success and improve efficiency within the plant. There is more to explore. As you plan your 2027 starter fertilizer program, consider the value of potassium, especially ALPINE Bio-K .  Throughout the winter, please reach out with your questions on potassium, humic acids, and nutrient balances with micronutrients. Your ALPINE DSMs and dealers will be happy to assist! I wish everyone a safe and joyous Fall.

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