TN757: Management of manganese in soils for arable crops

Manganese (Mn) deficiency is the most widespread trace element problem in arable crops in the UK and is most seen in cereals. This deficiency has increased in importance over the years because of both the expansion of the cereal area, often onto land which may only be marginally suited for such cropping, and the increased nutrient demand of higher yielding varieties. However, several spring and winter barley trials in the northeast of Scotland showed that high-yielding crops are not necessarily more prone to Mn deficiency than are lower-yielding crops. Substantial increases in the concentration of Mn in soil solution were observed in the rooting regions which were typically larger in higher-yielding crops.

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