Aaron,

All forage plants are simply nutrient transfer agents. That is to say they transfer nutrients from the soil and air to critters that consume the plants. Of the three most prominent nutrients, nitrogen (N) is often the most deficient. N is critical in building protein in critters. Wheat is very sensitive to insufficient nitrogen and very responsive to nitrogen fertilization. There are gads of recommendations for any crop. However, given that food plot acreage is usually very limited, I use soil analysis labs that provide “max yield” recommendations. This simply means they will recommend lime and fertilizer levels necessary to achieve the maximum yield. By contrast, many labs recommend lime and fertilizer levels to provide maximum economic return. This recommendation is based on limiting the cost of fertilizer so the overall net profit is higher.

Each site is unique — so I always recommend a soil test. It’s the easiest and least expensive tool to establish and maintain great food plots! The results of soil tests informs the manager of the amount of specific nutrients available in the soil, and how much should be added to produce the desired level of crop (in my case, I want maximum forage quality and quantity). So, without the results of soil test, I (or anyone) can’t provide an accurate fertilizer recommendation. Remember that your goal is for the plants to capture nutrients from the soil, and the deer to capture the nutrients from the crop you’ve produced. Hopefully, deer are removing much of the nutrients you put on the field. Hence, it’s critical to have the soil analyzed annually and add the appropriate amount of lime and fertilizer. If you don’t follow these steps, it’s extremely likely your deer herd is not expressing its full potential.

Growing Deer together,

Grant