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Grain · Soil & nutrition · Balance

Nutrient replacement

K replaced at 0.4×

For each nutrient, the amount applied divided by the amount removed in harvested grain. It shows at a glance whether you are maintaining, building or mining each element in the soil — nitrogen and phosphorus are usually replaced, while potassium and sulfur are often quietly run down.

Worked example · Applied ÷ removed, by nutrient
Balance 1.0× 1.25× 1.05× 0.4× 1.25× N P K S
Applied ÷ removed, by nutrient
The benchmark

A sustainable nutrient budget replaces close to what grain removes — a replacement ratio near 1.0× per element; ratios persistently below one draw down the soil bank and store up a future constraint.

GRDC GrowNotes ↗
What it signals

A ratio below one isn’t a problem this season — it’s a deferred one. Potassium mined year after year eventually shows up as a yield ceiling that fertiliser can’t quickly fix. Budgeting by element keeps a hidden constraint from ambushing you.

Data required to calculate
Nutrient applied by elementkg/haGrain nutrient concentrationkg/tGrain yieldt/ha

Silo pulls each of these from the sources the operation already uses, and keeps the figure current automatically.

How to improve it
01

Build a full nutrient budget per paddock, not just nitrogen and phosphorus.

02

Soil test to depth to catch potassium and sulfur decline early.

03

Replace maintenance nutrients on high-removal paddocks before yield suffers.

Questions & answers

What is nutrient replacement?

For each nutrient, the amount applied divided by the amount removed in harvested grain. It shows at a glance whether you are maintaining, building or mining each element in the soil — nitrogen and phosphorus are usually replaced, while potassium and sulfur are often quietly run down.

What data do you need to calculate nutrient replacement?

You need: Nutrient applied by element (kg/ha), Grain nutrient concentration (kg/t), Grain yield (t/ha). Silo pulls each of these from the sources the operation already uses and keeps the figure current automatically.

What is a good nutrient replacement benchmark?

A sustainable nutrient budget replaces close to what grain removes — a replacement ratio near 1.0× per element; ratios persistently below one draw down the soil bank and store up a future constraint.

How do you improve nutrient replacement?

Build a full nutrient budget per paddock, not just nitrogen and phosphorus. Soil test to depth to catch potassium and sulfur decline early. Replace maintenance nutrients on high-removal paddocks before yield suffers.

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