Nitrogen is the most limiting nutrient for winter wheat production. Apply nitrogen fertilizers at rates based on expected crop yields minus credits for residual soil nitrates and nitrogen mineralized from organic matter, manure, and previous legume Crops. Apply phosphate fertilizers at rates based on soil test results.
Band applications are more effective than broadcast applications.
Most Colorado soils contain sufficient available potassium for dryland winter wheat production. Adequate soil fertility is one of the requirements for profitable winter wheat production. The value of a soil test in predicting nutrient availability during the growing season directly relates to how well the sample collected represents the area sampled. If the field has been in no-till, reduce the sampling depth of the tillage layer. A good sample is a composite of 15 to 20 soil cores taken from an area uniform in soil type.