After a year that saw above-average yields for wheat and canola despite dry conditions in much of North America, many farmers’ bins are brimming to the top with this year’s harvest, especially in the Canadian prairies. But all that grain can take a toll on your soil, depleting it of critical nutrients. The following table lists uptake and removal rates of major crops in Western Canada:

Crop		N (lb/ac)	P2O5 (lb/ac)	K2O (lb/ac)	S (lb/ac)
Spring Wheat	Uptake	76-93	29-35	65-80	8-10
	Removal	54-66	21-26	16-19	4-5
Winter Wheat	Uptake	61-74	27-34	64-78	9-11
	Removal	47-57	23-28	15-19	6-8
Canola	Uptake	100-123	46-57	73-89	17-21
	Removal	61-74	33-40	16-20	10-12
Soybeans	Uptake	160-200	28-35	84-155	12
	Removal	130-140	28-30	48-50	4
Corn	Uptake	138-168	57-69	116-141	13-16
	Removal	87-107	39-48	25-30	6-7
Peas	Uptake	138-168	38-46	123-150	11-14
	Removal	105-129	31-38	32-39	6-7
Lentils	Uptake	82-101	22-27	69-84	8-10
	Removal	55-67	17-20	29-36	4-5
Barley	Uptake	100-122	40-49	96-117	12-14
	Removal	70-85	30-37	23-28	6-8
Faba Beans	Uptake	257-314	89-108	229-280	12-15
	Removal	154-188	55-67	47-57	6-8

Source: Canadian Fertilizer Institute

Uptake refers to the amount of each nutrient that a crop takes up over the course of the growing season, while removal refers to the amount that is removed when the grain is harvested. The removal rate is what is lost at harvest, and needs to be replenished to ensure consistent yields. Nutrients that are taken up by the plants but not harvested as grain (crop residues) will be slowly released back into the soil as microbes work to break down the residues. Uptake and removal rates vary considerably by crop. Some crops, such as soybeans and peas, also fix their own nitrogen from the atmosphere through a symbiotic relationship with Rhizobia bacteria, reducing the need for additional N application.

Different crops also vary in terms of when they reach peak nutrient uptake. Cool season crops such as canola and wheat begin their period of intensive N uptake about three weeks before long season crops such as corn or soybeans. This can affect the timing of application as well as the rate of uptake, as longer season crops may have more time to take up N as it becomes mineralized over the course of the growing season. Producers should combine soil test results with best management practices to ensure that they have a sound nutrient management plan for their farm. 

Products from XiteBio® go hand in hand with a good nutrient management plan. XiteBio® SoyRhizo® and PulseRhizo® inoculants provide superior nodulation, ensuring plants to fix adequate N resulting in consistently better yields. XiteBio Yield+ biologicals utilize a unique strain of Bacillus firmus that solubilizes P, making it more available for plant uptake. The bacteria also releases iron-chelating siderophores, compounds that help make iron more available to the plant, and phytohormones (viz. IAA) that encourage greater root system growth and development. An adequate supply of N and P at critical times in the crop growing season can be the difference between a harvest that results in a healthy and profitable crop and the one that does not.