Soil–Plant Nutrient Interactions on Manure-Enriched Calcareous Soils

Growers working with manured soils often rely on soil test information when developing nutrient management for their crop, especially when manure application information is unavailable. Nutrient-enriched soils, like manured soils, can trigger nutrient deficiencies and toxicities due to plant–soil nutrient interactions. The goal of the study was to determine correlations between soil test and plant tissue nutrient concentrations for irrigated corn silage crops (Zea mays L. subsp. mays) with varying nutrient concentrations unique to dairy manure-enriched calcareous soils. Whole plant and soil samples were collected from 39 cooperator corn silage fields at harvest over a 2-yr period throughout the Snake River Plain region of southern Idaho. Soils were sampled to a depth of 30.5 cm and analyzed for plant available forms of P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, S, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu, and B; whole plant tops were analyzed for total N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, S, Zn, Fe, Mn, and Cu. Significant positive correlations were detected between soil test K and tissue K (Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient = 0.63), soil test K and tissue N (rho = 0.59), and soil test B and tissue N (rho = 0.53). A significant negative correlation was detected between soil test Fe and tissue Mn (rho = –0.59). Controlled studies are needed to corroborate the relationships observed in this survey study.