Nutrient Balance Calculator

Calculate nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium surplus or deficit by comparing fertilizer and manure inputs against crop removal rates.

Inputs

Fertilizer N Applied

lbs

Fertilizer P₂O₅ Applied

lbs

Fertilizer K₂O Applied

lbs

Manure N Applied

lbs

Manure P₂O₅ Applied

lbs

Manure K₂O Applied

lbs

Crop N Removal

lbs

Crop P₂O₅ Removal

lbs

Crop K₂O Removal

lbs

Total Acres

acres

Tab to move between fields

Results

N Balance

1 lbs/acre

P Balance

0.5 lbs/acre

K Balance

1.5 lbs/acre

Nitrogen StatusN Slight Surplus

Phosphorus StatusP Slight Surplus

Potassium StatusK Slight Surplus

N Use Efficiency86%

P Use Efficiency86%

K Use Efficiency73%

How to Use This Calculator

Enter crop yield goal in bushels or tons per acre.
Input nutrient removal rates for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium based on the selected crop.
Enter your current soil test levels for each nutrient.
Review the Nutrient Balance (supply vs. removal) for each element.
Use the Fertilizer Recommendation output to close any nutrient gaps efficiently.

How the result changes with Crop N Removal

Crop N Removal	N Balance	P Balance	K Balance
5,000	-43 lbs/acre	0.5 lbs/acre	1.5 lbs/acre
17,500	-168 lbs/acre	0.5 lbs/acre	1.5 lbs/acre
32,500	-318 lbs/acre	0.5 lbs/acre	1.5 lbs/acre
45,000	-443 lbs/acre	0.5 lbs/acre	1.5 lbs/acre

What each input means

Fertilizer N Applied: Total pounds of nitrogen (N) applied as commercial fertilizer across all acres.
Fertilizer P₂O₅ Applied: Total pounds of phosphorus (as P₂O₅) applied as commercial fertilizer.
Fertilizer K₂O Applied: Total pounds of potassium (as K₂O) applied as commercial fertilizer.
Manure N Applied: Total pounds of plant-available nitrogen from manure applications.
Manure P₂O₅ Applied: Total pounds of phosphorus (as P₂O₅) from manure applications.
Manure K₂O Applied: Total pounds of potassium (as K₂O) from manure applications.
Crop N Removal: Total nitrogen removed by harvested crop (grain + stover if removed). Corn grain: ~0.8 lb N/bu.
Crop P₂O₅ Removal: Total phosphorus removed by crop harvest. Corn grain: ~0.37 lb P₂O₅/bu.
Crop K₂O Removal: Total potassium removed by crop harvest. Corn grain: ~0.27 lb K₂O/bu.
Total Acres: Total acreage the inputs and removals apply to.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Fertilizer N Applied = 500, Fertilizer P₂O₅ Applied = 200, Fertilizer K₂O Applied = 300, Manure N Applied = 200 = 10 input(s) provided
Calculate N Balance
N Balance
1 = 1
Calculate P Balance
P Balance
0.5 = 0.5
Calculate K Balance
K Balance
1.5 = 1.5
Calculate Nitrogen Status
Nitrogen Status
N Slight Surplus = N Slight Surplus
Calculate Phosphorus Status
Phosphorus Status
P Slight Surplus = P Slight Surplus

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