Corn Micronutrients
The following article was written by Ed Lentz and Steve Culman, our new Soil Fertility Extension specialist who replaced Dr. Robert Mullen. “Boron, chloride, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel and zinc are called micronutrients or trace elements, needed only in extremely small amounts for crop production. Calcium, magnesium and sulfur are called secondary nutrients since the crop needs larger amounts for production compared to micronutrients but considerably less than the primary nutrients of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium called macronutrients. Most Ohio soils have adequate amounts of micronutrients for corn production. They also generally have adequate secondary nutrients if proper pH has been maintained with lime and the soil is not sandy with low organic matter. Soil temperature and moisture are important factors. Cool, wet soils reduce the rate and amount of micronutrients that may be taken up by crops. As soil pH increases, the availability of micronutrients decrease