Analysis and Diagnosis
The efficiency of nutrition practices is evaluated by quantifying nutrient concentration in the soil solution and in the plant, which is known as nutritional monitoring.
In this way, it is possible to understand how much of the applied fertilizer and how much of the native nutrient supplement is available for absorption by the crop. Accurate interpretation of the results helps estimate the soil’s capacity to supply nutrients to the plant and provides a diagnosis of the crop’s nutritional status.
Soil and foliar analyses are used as diagnostic tools that quantify nutrient concentration in the soil, its potential availability to the plant, and actual absorption. Calibration of soil and foliar analyses allows for estimating the likelihood of a response to nutrient application in the form of fertilizer, thereby laying the groundwork for designing a nutritional monitoring program.