Soil Fertility and "New" Removal Rates

New soil fertility removal rates are getting a good deal of press as we move into the harvest season.  I would ask if this is big news?  The basis for a good soil fertility program is soil testing.  In looking at the removal rate data, I noticed a big spread in crop removal rates .  This leads me to question the value of knowing what the crop might have removed if we don't really know the removal rate for the particular variety that was grown in a field.  Soil testing as an afterthought will not give you the data you need to make sound fertilizer decisions.  We still need to monitor fertility levels regularly to decide how much fertilizer you need to avoid crop stress in the next growing season.  My philosophy is to keep your fertility at ideal levels .  We have a lot that we can't control in farming.  Soil fertility is one thing we can control.  We want to take the fertility factor out of the picture.  We need to make sure we have enough fertility to grow top yielding crops, but we also need to think about environmental stewardship so that we minimize phosphorous and nitrogen loading in surface waters.  New removal rates do not take into consideration where your fertility levels are.  Only soil testing can tell you that information.