As the crop progresses, some nutritional problems often become more evident to farmers. Here are a few to consider.

Soybean production is expanding. In some situations, the crop will be planted in fields that have never been planted to soybeans or haven't been planted to soybeans for more than four years. This article provides recommendations for planting soybeans under these conditions.

There has been a great deal of interest in recent months in the idea of using nitrogen fertilizer during the growing season to increase soybean yields.

Manure is a valuable asset to livestock farmers who grow crops. It provides nutrients - nitrogen, phosphorus and potash - and helps maintain or increase soil health.

Many producers could benefit by using starter fertilizer when planting corn. Starter fertilizer is simply the placement of some fertilizer, usually nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), near the seed - which "jump starts" growth in the spring.

After talking with many farmers throughout Ohio during this year’s Extension meetings, one common question keeps popping up: What about nitrogen application to soybean? Yes, soybean plants have high nitrogen requirements due to the high protein content of grain. On average, approximately 4 pounds of nitrogen is removed per bushel of grain. (Corn only removes approximately 1 pound of nitrogen per bushel of grain.) Soybean nitrogen requirements are met through both nitrogen-fixing bacteria (Bradyrhizobia) and residual/mineralized soil nitrogen.

Some producers are taking advantage of frozen ground conditions to apply nitrogen to wheat fields or manure to corn fields.

Fertilizers are so well known to improve yield potential. Since WWII, farmers have applied commercial and/or organic products to grow crops.

Poultry litter can provide a significant and important supply of nutrients for crop production in areas where a supply of litter is available. Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma rank among the largest producers of poultry in the U.S.

Corn and soybean harvest continues to move along in Illinois, and as the 2013 crops come off, thoughts turn to fall fertilization. In this article we'll discuss nutrients other than nitrogen. This will be followed soon by an article on nitrogen.