This form provides information so fertilizer application suggestions can be tailored to your specific situation. Take soil samples for NO 3 -N analyses every year for optimum fertilization of Crops. Analyze soil for availability of the other nutrients, pH, and organic matter content every three to four years. Nitrogen Suggestions Nitrogen fertilizer generally is not needed if dry beans follow Crops that have been properly fertilized. However, some fertilizer N may be required to aid in straw decomposition when large quantities of previous crop residues were incorporated into the soil.
Dry beans are legumes that biologically fix N through a symbiotic N fixation process.
Inoculate bean seed with the specific host bacteria if dry beans have not been grown recently in a field. Seed inoculation also is suggested for fields where the presence of the N-fixing bacteria in the soil is questioned. Because legumes fix N if nodules are functioning properly, some of the N requirements of the plants are met. However, N fixation is limited in heavy clay soils. Some preplant N may be needed if residual NO 3 -N levels in the soil are low.