We have to move beyond focusing only on N-P-K. When certain nutrients are supplied in excess, they can actually block or compete with others, throwing the entire soil system out of balance.

It’s like a teeter-totter—you can’t keep loading one side and expect it to work right. In the same way, feeding crops heavy on nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium while neglecting micronutrients can limit performance and uptake efficiency.

High levels of one element can make others less available—a relationship called antagonism. For instance, too much nitrogen can reduce plant uptake of boron, potassium, and copper, while excessive phosphorus can interfere with iron, calcium, copper, and zinc. The goal is not to maximize any single nutrient, but to maintain balance across all nutrients so the plant can function efficiently and reach its full potential.