Why do crops underperform despite high nutrient levels on a soil test?
A case study by Field Logic Agronomy on Tifway 419 Bermuda at a South Carolina sod farm revealed slow growth and weak development despite high total nutrients indicated by soil testing.
The problem isn't a lack of nutrients, but a lack of biological activity caused by chronic overuse of NPK fertilizers and chemical fungicides. This leads to a microbial burnout and nutrient lockout, creating a biologically "closed" system where nutrients are inaccessible to the plant. Particularly, overloading the soil with fast-acting nitrogen and high salts reduces beneficial fungi and bacteria, collapsing microbial diversity essential for nutrient cycling and uptake.
So how can we reopen these pathways and get nutrients where they belong—to our plant!
Walker recommends targeting microbial respiration as a first step; this is essentially helping the beneficial soil organisms "breathe", so they can properly eat, multiply, and break down locked-up nutrients.
EnSoil Algae™’s live cell microalgae act as a powerful “stress recovery biostimulant". When applied, EnSoil Algae™ immediately improves microbial and fungal diversity to restore key nutrient cycling metrics, as demonstrated by the results below:
This case study demonstrates that nutrient presence is not nutrient performance. By focusing on biological restoration with tools like EnSoil Algae™, growers can focus on getting the most out of their nutrients and can expect to see higher profitability paired with measurable improvements in production and health.
To dive deeper into this topic, read the full study written by our partners at Field Logic Agronomy. This summary expands on Brian Walker’s recommendation of using microalgae to remedy soil dysfunction.