I remember learning about Liebig’s Law of the Minimum in college.  It’s simply a principle developed in the early 1800’s that states “growth is controlled not by the total of resources available, but by the scarcest resource (limiting factor).”

As an illustration, a plant could be attempting to grow in an area that had ample nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K).  However, if there is very little iron available, the plant will not be very productive.  Iron is required to form chlorophyll (for photosynthesis).  Therefore, even though the plant has access to all the N, P, and K (macro nutrients or nutrients that are required by plants in a high volume), its growth will be severely limited because trace amounts of iron are not available.

Many food plot farmers only test the soil in their plots to determine how much N, P, and K are available.  For a few more dollars good labs, like Waters Ag, will test for the macro nutrients (N, P, and K) and the most critical micronutrients.  Even fewer food plot farmers use a fertilizer that includes the most critical micro nutrients.  That is one reason (among many) that I use Antler Dirt.

Remember that plants are only nutrient transfer agents.  If the nutrients aren’t available to the plant, they can’t be transferred to the deer.  The productivity of deer (antlers and fawns, among other measures) can be limited due to the lack of micronutrients.  I refer to Liebig’s Law of the Minimum as the “low hole in the bucket.”  As a deer manager, I can plug several holes, but if I don’t plug the lowest hole, the deer herd can’t express its full potential.  The best deer managers constantly strive to plug the lowest hole.

Growing Deer together,

Grant

- Dr. Grant Woods of Woods & Associates is a wildlife biologist and consultant specializing in deer management and research. He received B.S. and M.S. degrees from Southwest Missouri State University and a Ph.D. from Clemson University. He has conducted research or management projects in more than 25 states, Canada and New Zealand. He has been instrumental in the development of many modern deer management practices and a pioneer in the Quality Deer Management movement.

Grant recently launched a great deer management web site, Growingdeer.tv, which I highlighted several weeks ago on Wired To Hunt. Make sure to go check out Growing Deer TV to see weekly videos from Grant discussing deer and land management strategies. Visit Growing Deer TV here.

Spring can be a slow time for deer hunters, but it’s never too early to start preparing for next season. One of the best things to set yourself up for success next year is to create food plots, but this is easier said than done. Luckily there are a lot of great resources out there to help out.

This being said, a really great resource has been brought to my attention. This next Thursday, May 7, DeerandDeerhunting.com will be hosting a “Webinar” about Food Plot Management. For those of you not familiar with webinars, it is essentially an online seminar that you can follow from your home computer. Deer & Deer Hunting describes it this way…

A webinar is a seminar hosted online. From the comfort of your home PC, an expert will give a presentation about a certain topic. A Powerpoint-style presentation, complete with audio and video, plays on your computer as the expert discusses the topic. You will have many opportunities to ask questions about the topic. This structure is focused enough to explore the topic deeply, but also flexible enough to deliver the information you want to know.

The webinar is at 7 PM Est and will run for approximately one hour, with a $20 fee for access to this program. One attendee will also win three bags of forage seed from Frigid Forage worth about $135. If food plots are on your to do list, I highly recommend you take advantage of this great opportunity to learn from some of the best in the field. To register visit this link and move fast because there are only 100 spots available.

• May 7, 2009
• 7 p.m. Eastern / 6 p.m. Central
• Topic: Food Plot Management: How to Pick the Right Seed for Your Soil: Advanced Tips for Working Man’s Food Plots
• Expert: Matt Harper, Deer & Deer Hunting magazine author, deer nutrition and food plot authority
• Cost: $20/one hour
ONLY 100 SEATS AVAILABLE.