Trace Elements and Nutrient Efficiency: Is Your Fertiliser Program Working Hard Enough?

Are you really getting the most out of your fertiliser program? If you’ve noticed variation between paddocks or farms—even when the fertiliser strategy is the same—it might be time to dig a little deeper.

In my last post we explored the role of trace elements in plant growth and the risks associated with ignoring micronutrients. One key concept we touched on was Liebig’s Law of the Minimum—that plant yield is ultimately limited by the most deficient nutrient, no matter how much of everything else is available.

Think of your soil like a wooden barrel. Each stave represents a nutrient. No matter how tall most of the staves are, the shortest one (say, zinc) determines how much water—or yield—the barrel can actually hold.

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So, How Important Are Trace Elements?

Very. Especially when it comes to nutrient uptake and overall plant resilience—regardless of whether you’re facing a drought or a perfect season.          Trace elements may only be needed in small amounts, but they punch well above their weight when it comes to:

🔬 Enzymatic Reactions

Elements like Manganese and Zinc act as enzyme cofactors, driving nitrogen and carbon cycling in soil.

🌱 Nitrogen Fixation

       Iron and Molybdenum are critical for nitrogenase, the enzyme that helps legume bacteria fix nitrogen—without it, your legumes are flying                   blind.

🌾 Soil Microbial Activity

Elements such as Zinc, Boron, and Copper support diverse soil microbial life, which is essential for breaking down organic matter and making           nutrients plant-available.

🔗 Phosphorus Availability

       Iron and Zinc help unlock phosphorus bound in organic material through enzyme support.  In short, if your trace elements are out of balance,              your NPK may not be doing what you think it is.

So, What Can You Do About It?

Sure, you can run multiple soil tests and create a highly prescriptive program—which might still fall short. Or, you can simplify your approach with Converte’s range of biologically active, trace-enhanced products.

Our products are designed to complement your existing fertiliser program, not replace it. Think of them as enhancers that help unlock what’s already in your soil, while feeding the microbial communities that drive nutrient cycling.

We also make it easy to understand what you’re using. There’s no mystery—we publish the typical analysis of every product. And with ingredients like fulvic acid and humates, you’re not just fertilising—you’re rejuvenating your soil biology.

Healthy Microbes = Healthy Soil = Healthy Plants

There’s a lot of buzz about adding external microbes to your soil—but our philosophy is to feed the ones you already have. Stimulate what’s there, get your soil biology humming again, and let nature do what it’s always done best.

A healthy microbial system processes nutrients more efficiently, making them readily available to your plants. And that means your plants are more resilient, your yields more consistent, and your input costs potentially reduced.

Start Small: Try Seed Primer

If you’re curious but cautious, Seed Primer is a smart first step. When a seed germinates into a rhizosphere rich in micronutrients, the results are often clear.

✅  Seedlings with better root and shoot growth by six weeks   

✅  Higher leaf area density   

✅  Early evidence of soil limitations and product effectiveness

At just $32/tonne (5L treats 10 tonnes of seed), it’s an affordable way to run some strip trials and compare results.

Here’s an example from non-wetting soils in WA last year—treated plants showed significantly improved growth over untreated ones just six weeks post-emergence.

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Other Product Options & Costs (Retail, inc. GST in 1000 litre volumes):

  • Bio Restore (pre-sowing): $14/ha
  • Seed Primer (on-seed): $32/t
  • Plant Food (6 weeks post): $7/ha
  • ReNUE (mid-season foliar boost): $4.50/ha

👉 All tank-mix compatible with herbicides and other inputs

Ready to Rethink Fertiliser Efficiency?

If you’ve been relying heavily on NPK and ignoring trace elements, there’s a good chance you’re seeing:

  • Reduced nutrient efficiency
  • Poor microbial activity
  • Plants more susceptible to stress
  • Lower-than-expected yields

Our aim is to help you use less fertiliser while getting more from your soil. Some of our customers have cut NPK use by 10–20% while maintaining or even improving yield. And it all started with a simple product trial.

Let’s Chat About Your Soil

Still reading? Then maybe it’s time to explore a better way forward.

📩 Send me an email
Whether you want to run a small trial, tweak your current program, or overhaul your approach completely—I’m here to help you get more from the ground beneath your boots.

scott.glyde@converte.com.au

Scott Glyde – Converte Director of Agribusiness 

Rethinking Fertiliser Programs: Is NPK Enough Anymore?

By Scott Glyde, Director of Agribusiness at Converte

In recent weeks, I’ve had conversations with several farmers who have consistently invested in traditional NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) programs. Despite pouring fertiliser onto paddocks, they’re not seeing the returns they’d expect. Sound familiar?

This is where Liebig’s Law of the Minimum comes in—it tells us that plant growth is limited not by the total amount of nutrients, but by the one that’s in shortest supply. In other words, your system is only as strong as its weakest link.

So, if your NPK program is solid but you’ve overlooked trace elements for years, you might be leaving yield, plant health, and soil performance on the table.

Let’s explore what trace element deficiencies could be silently doing to your paddocks:

What’s At Risk Without Trace Elements?

🌱 Boron
Vital for cell wall synthesis and reproductive growth. Deficiency leads to poor grain set, reduced flowering, bud abortion, and impaired root systems.

🌿 Carbon
Crucial for organic matter and photosynthesis. Low levels can reduce soil structure, water retention, and microbial activity—slashing biomass and growth.

🪨 Silicon
Improves plant strength, disease resistance, and stress tolerance. Without it, plants are more vulnerable to lodging and disease—especially during drought.

🌾 Cobalt
Supports nitrogen fixation in legumes. A deficiency hampers pasture growth and reduces available nitrogen.

🍃 Manganese
Essential for photosynthesis, nitrogen use, and enzyme activity. Deficiency shows up as poor growth, delayed maturity, and yellowing leaves.

🌱 Molybdenum
Needed for nitrogen fixation and nitrate use. Deficiency leads to poor growth, pale leaves, and stunted legumes.

🌾 Nickel
Small but mighty. It’s necessary for seed viability and urease activity. Deficiency can cause nitrogen toxicity and poor seed quality.

🐄 Selenium
Lack of it affects livestock grazing pastures, impacting muscular and reproductive health.

🌿 Zinc
Drives growth, protein synthesis, and hormone function. Low zinc causes stunted crops, malformed leaves, and reduced grain size.

🌞 Iron
Critical for chlorophyll production and respiration. Deficiency results in yellow leaves and low photosynthetic performance.

🌾 Copper
Supports plant structure and seed formation. Poor copper levels mean tip burn, disease susceptibility, and yield loss.

How Converte Helps Close the Loop

At Converte, our formulations go beyond just NPK. We include targeted trace elements and natural bio-stimulants like fulvic acid, seaweed, molasses, and humates. These additions work twofold:

  1. Unlock ‘bound’ macronutrients already in your soil
  2. Supercharge microbial activity to enhance nutrient cycling and uptake

The result? Your existing NPK inputs work harder, and over time, you’ll likely need less of them.

Four Key Tools for a Smarter Fertiliser Program

  • BioRestore (Pre-Sowing)
    Boosts soil carbon and microbial life, driving nutrient cycling and improving fertiliser performance.
  • Seed Primer (At Sowing)
    Applied directly to seed, it creates a nutrient-rich rhizosphere, improving root mass and early growth by up to 25%.
  • Plant Food (6 Weeks Post-Sowing)
    A foliar and soil booster that chelates macronutrients and addresses nutrient deficiencies mid-season.
  • ReNUE (In-Season Foliar)
    Perfect for mid-season boosts when plants are pushing hard and soils are running low on reserves.

Let’s Maximise Your Program

Plenty of growers report needing less NPK once their soil health begins to improve. If you’re planning your program now, or even just curious about trying something different—reach out. Whether it’s a small paddock trial or a whole-farm plan, I’d be happy to help tailor something for you.

Let’s kick a few stones and get the conversation started.

Scott Glyde, Converte

scott.glyde@converte.com.au