Limiting Factors of Nutrient Availability

Several factors that can limit the availability of nutrients in the soil include:

Soil structure (sandy soils or heavy clay soils)
Lack of moisture – nutrients must be in a solution form (moisture) in order to be absorbed by the root.
Compaction and soil pH can also influence the availability of soil applied nutrients.
Lack of organic matter and inactive soil biology can limit nutrient availability.
Nutrients can be “tied up” in the soil with other elements and not be available to the plant.
Waterlogged soils and cool temperatures can also affect nutrient availability.

Have you ever asked yourself … “How much of the fertilizer I applied, is actually getting utilized by the crop?” We recommend a base saturation soil test and to amend accordingly. And we also suggest THINK SOIL FIRST! Utilize products that will help you:

Improve soil structure
Convert organic matter
Increase moisture holding capacity of your soil
Address compaction issues
Enhance soil biology
Allow for better drainage
Better utilize applied nutrients

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Tobacco Growers Meeting

By Sugar Creek Ag • November 27, 2025

Tobacco growers, you're invited to join Southern States and Sugar Creek Ag on December 9th, 2025 , for an in-depth meeting focused on foliar nutrition, humic products, and practical in-season strategies to strengthen crop performance. Hosted at Palace Pointe in Roxboro, NC , this meeting will bring together growers from across the region to talk through real field challenges, field-proven solutions, and key timing considerations for the upcoming season. Growers will hear the latest updates from Sugar Creek Ag’s team, including: Field-tested insights on foliar timing How humic products support root health and nutrient uptake In-season solutions that stabilize performance when the soil can’t keep up Additional Southern States agronomy topics relevant to Carolina tobacco acres Date: Tuesday, December 9, 2025 Time: 5:00 PM Location: Palace Pointe, 5050 Durham Rd, Roxboro, NC

Do your hay fields and pastures need a pick-me-up?

By Sugar Creek Ag • October 2, 2025

Applied together, EARTHQUAKE Liquid Humic and Forage Factor are Farmer-Proven to be effective and give your hay fields and pastures the growth, density, and quality you want!

What is Earthquake Liquid Humic?

By Sugar Creek Ag • September 5, 2025

To best answer this question, it helps to understand the process of humification. Humification is the natural conversion of organic matter into humic substances by microorganisms in the soil.