Agronomic Tips for 2026 - What Your Traditional Soil Test Isn’t Telling You

As the 2026 crop planning season heats up, Faith welcomes back Nebraska agronomists Kyle Olson and Chase Perry to dig through the data. After reviewing thousands of Indicator soil tests from across the Corn Belt, the trio discusses the glaring trends emerging between farms managed with biology in mind versus those stuck in a synthetic rut.In this deep dive, they explore why manure-fed soils are showing vastly superior CSAT scores compared to synthetic-only systems, and how over-applied nitrogen in 2025 likely contributed to the heavy disease pressure seen across the Midwest. The group also tackles the geographical battle of Potassium vs. Magnesium—contrasting the high-K soils of Nebraska with the high-Mag, tight clays of Illinois—and why chasing a "perfect" grid-sampled PPM number is burning through your budget without boosting your ROI.In this episode, you’ll learn:The Manure Advantage: Why 10 out of 10 growers prefer manure over synthetics, and how the carbon bond in manure drives higher CSAT scores and long-term soil efficiency.Nitrogen & Disease: The correlation between heavy front-loaded nitrogen programs and increased disease pressure (Tar Spot, Southern Rust). Why "too much N" often looks like a deficiency because the plant is plugged with nitrate.The Phosphorus-Zinc Link: Why you should never apply Phosphorus without Zinc. Faith explains how high P levels often induce Zinc deficiencies and why maintaining a 10:1 ratio is critical.The K:Mag Divide: A look at regional soil differences. While Nebraska growers enjoy decent Potassium availability, Illinois and Wisconsin growers fight High-Magnesium soils that tighten up and block K uptake late in the season.Manganese as the Governor: How Manganese regulates Potassium uptake and why low Manganese levels can lead to "luxury consumption" of K without yield gain.Grids vs. Zones (Again): Why grid sampling co-mingles soil types and hides the true limiting factors, whereas zone sampling offers a customized rifle approach to fertility rather than a shotgun blast.Resources & Links Mentioned:Dirt2Dollars: Kyle and Chase’s educational video channelCreekside Agronomy (Kyle Olson)CMP Enterprises (Chase Perry)After You Listen: Subscribe to RhizoMetRx to stay updated on new episodesShare this episode with fellow growers, consultants, or agronomy professionalsJoin the conversation—send your questions, field observations, or feedback to [email protected].