Register or Log-In to Record Course Completions & to Earn CEU Credits for Applicable Courses
Course Content
Please click the item you’d like to view below. The course presentation can be viewed once the course has been completed.
Course Description
Course Code: NUE-RS 105
CEU Credit Category:
Sustainability CEU Credit: 0.50
Nutrient Management CEU Credit: 0.50
Presenter:
John Havlin
Professor, Soil Fertility, Crop and Soil Sciences, NC State
Summary:
In this course you will learn:
- Micronutrient Importance
- Pairing with Macronutrients
- Micronutrient Uptake Pathways
Micronutrient deficiencies are common throughout the world and vary widely between regions. Increased incidence of micronutrient deficiencies is commonly related to increased crop yields and removal of micronutrients from the field. Although skilled agronomists can visually identify micronutrient deficiency symptoms in the field, specific micronutrient deficiencies must be verified through careful plant and soil analyses. The concentration of a micronutrient in the plant or soil must be compared to established critical levels specific for each micronutrient. Maintaining micronutrient soil test levels above the critical level is essential to achieve maximum yield and profit.
Decisions on micronutrient rate, source, application time, and placement method are very important to effective correction of micronutrient deficiencies. Inorganic (SO4 salts) and organic (chelates) micronutrient sources are the most common, although application of animal and other organic wastes are also valuable sources of micronutrients when economically available. When using fertilizers, band applications before or at planting are generally more effective than broadcast applied micronutrient. When band applied near or with the seed, micronutrients rates are lower with chelates than SO4 sources. Since plant micronutrient requirements are very small compared to macronutrients, foliar applications are effective; however, multiple applications may be needed.
