Crop nutrient removal refers to the macro- and micronutrients taken from the field when a crop is harvested. Information on nutrient removal alone is not adequate to make fertility recommendations because it does not consider the ability of the soil to retain and supply nutrients. It can, however, show variations in nutrient needs among different crops. In addition, it can indicate the rates at which reserves of soil nutrients will be depleted and the amount of nutrients that could be potentially recycled via crop residues.

An adequate supply of nutrients is fundamental for optimal plant growth and yield. Grain crops, forages, fruits, and vegetables need 14 essential elements from soil, divided into macro- and micronutrients. Macronutrients are nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S). Micronutrients are chlorine (Cl), iron (Fe), boron (B), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), and molybdenum (Mo).

The quantity of nutrients required by plants depends on the species, growth stage, yield potential, and crop management, among other factors. The exact amount of fertilizer necessary for each crop also depends on the concentration of nutrients that is available from soil reserves and decaying organic matter. Nutrients in plants that are left in the field can partially resupply nutrient reserves in the soil as they decompose. Calculating the amount of nutrient removal by each crop is helpful to optimize the quantity of nutrients that must be replaced after a harvest.

Estimates of nutrient removal are determined by multiplying the crop yield by the average concentration of each nutrient in the biomass. As crop yields increase, more nutrients are extracted and removed from the soil. Table 1 shows the amount of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Cu, Mn, and Zn removed by some of the crops commonly grown in North Carolina. Values for B, Mo, Fe, and Cl are not reported because they were not studied in the references used in this publication. This omission does not imply that they are not removed from soil or unimportant for crop production.

The yields used to calculate the removals presented in Table 1 are representative of those expected in North Carolina. To recalculate the nutrient removal for a different target yield, divide the nutrient removal (in lb/acre, Table 1) by the reference yield/acre (Table 1) and multiply the result by the new target yield.

(-) symbol means the information was not available in the reference used.

¹ Rogers et al. (2017). ↲

² Havlin et al. (2017). ↲

³ Assefa et al. (2018). ↲

⁴ Average from Karlen et al. (2015) and Duarte et al. (2019). ↲

⁵ Mourtzinis et al. (2016). ↲

⁶ Crusciol et al. (2021). ↲

⁷ Average from Bender et al. (2015), Filippi et al. (2021), and Miles (2024). ↲

⁸ Bender et al. (2015). ↲

⁹ Obour et al. (2023). ↲

¹⁰ Heuschele et al. (2023). ↲

¹¹ Osmond and Kang (2008). ↲

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Bender, R.R., J.W. Haegele, and F.E. Below. 2015. “Nutrient Uptake, Partitioning, and Remobilization in Modern Soybean Varieties.” Agronomy Journal 107: 563–573.

Crusciol, C.A.C., J.R. Portugal, J.W. Bossolani, L.G. Moretti, A.M. Fernandes, J.L.N. Garcia, G.L.B. Garcia, C. Pilon, and H. Cantarella. 2021. “Dynamics of Macronutrient Uptake and Removal by Modern Peanut Cultivars.” Plants 10:2167.

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Havlin, J. L., S. Tisdale, W. Nelson, and J. Beaton. 2017. Soil Fertility and Fertilizers. An Introduction to Nutrient Management. 8th ed. Pearson Educational, Inc.

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Miles, L. 2024. “Phosphorus and Potassium Fertilization for High-Yielding Soybeans in North Carolina.” MS thesis, NC State University.

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