Soil pH Nutrient Efficiency Calculator
First, select your crop, yield goal, and soil pH level from the dropdowns at the top of the screen. This will calculate fertilizer removal rates for N, P, K, and S to support your selected yield level and set the utilization level of the fertilizers at your pH based on estimated availability.
Second, select your fertilizer sources for supplying the N, P, K, and S and input your pricing levels.
Once these values are input, the calculator will utilize your values to calculate the hidden cost of having less than optimum pH levels based on the nutrient availability levels of each nutrient at the pH level you designated. By having lower than optimum pH levels, growers cannot maximize the nutrient availability of applied fertilizers for their growing crop. Phosphorus typically is the nutrient most negatively affected by soil pH when it comes to availability levels.
| Fertilizer Used | Rate Required (lb/acre) | N Supplied (lb/acre) | P2O5 Supplied (lb/acre) | K2O Supplied (lb/acre) | S Supplied (lb/acre) | Cost ($/acre) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anhydrous Ammonia (82-0-0) | 210 | 173 | 0 | 0 | 0 | $58 |
| Monoammonium Phosphate (11-52-0) | 123 | 14 | 64 | 0 | 0 | $52 |
| Potassium Chloride 60% | 73 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 0 | $15 |
| Ammonium Sulfate (21-0-0-24S) | 67 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 16 | $18 |
| Totals Supplied | — | 200 | 64 | 44 | 16 | $143 |
Disclaimer: This calculator is intended to help understand why managing pH is important - it is not intended to be a precise predictor of outcomes on a given field, but rather a tool to understand the relative impact of pH on nutrient availability and the associated hidden costs. We know crop yields are sensitive to soil pH and we feel this is a tool to help simplify the complicated soil chemistry that results in reduced yield at low soil pH down to a simple financial calculation that growers can understand and use to make informed decisions about managing soil pH on their farm.