Chloride Emerges as Key Nutrient for No-Till Soybean Yields

With fertilizer prices rising, no-tillers are taking a closer look at how chloride and other nutrients can help maintain high soybean yields.

Apr. 18, 2026 at 6:40am

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A bold, abstract painting in muted greens, browns, and blues, featuring sweeping geometric shapes and precise botanical spirals, conceptually representing the complex chemical and biological forces at play in a thriving no-till soybean field.As no-till farmers seek to optimize nutrient management and control costs, a closer look at the role of chloride and other lesser-known elements could help maintain soybean yields while reducing overall fertilizer expenditures.Kearney Today

As fertilizer costs continue to climb, many no-till farmers are exploring the role of chloride and other lesser-known nutrients in supporting strong soybean yields. Experts say chloride, a highly mobile nutrient, can be particularly beneficial when applied through split or topdress applications, especially in regions with sufficient precipitation or coarse soils prone to leaching.

Why it matters

Historically, potassium chloride (potash) has been a widely used fertilizer in the Corn Belt, but the importance of chloride and other secondary and micronutrients is often overlooked. As no-till farmers look to optimize their nutrient management and control costs, a closer examination of these lesser-known but crucial elements could help maintain yields while reducing overall fertilizer expenditures.

The details

Chloride is a highly mobile nutrient that can be beneficial when applied through split or topdress applications, especially in regions with sufficient precipitation or coarse soils prone to leaching. Experts recommend that no-till farmers carefully monitor their soil and tissue samples to determine the optimal levels of chloride and other secondary and micronutrients to support soybean yields, in addition to the primary macronutrients of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

  • Chloride can be particularly beneficial when applied through split or topdress applications.

The players

Ray Ward

Owner of Ward Laboratories Inc. in Kearney, Nebraska, and a soil-testing expert who advises farmers on managing soil fertility and nutrient levels.

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What they’re saying

“Mastering the A, B, Cs of soil fertility means managing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium first, then taking care of secondary nutrients and micronutrient levels.”

— Ray Ward, Soil-testing expert

The takeaway

As no-till farmers face rising fertilizer costs, a closer examination of lesser-known but crucial nutrients like chloride could help maintain soybean yields while reducing overall fertilizer expenditures. Careful monitoring of soil and tissue samples to optimize nutrient levels will be key to this approach.