The basis for fertilizer recommendations has progressed from trial and error in the 1940s to an almost total dependence on soil testing at the present. Fertilizer recommendations have progressed over time from small amounts of compound fertilizers to an amount of a nutrient based on a soil test value. Research activity on development of soil testing and fertilizer recommendations was greatest in the 1950s and 1960s and has declined steadily since that time. Because the research was conducted by land grant universities in the individual states, the recommendation philosophies and recommendations varied among many states. This condition still exists although there presently is more agreement among some states. A national survey of land grant universities which have conducted the research supporting fertilizer recommendations, strongly suggests a need to update the soil test calibration data supporting the recommendations. The greatest recent improvement in fertilizer recommendations in many states has been the calibration of a soil nitrate test on which to base fertilizer nitrogen (N) recommendations for corn(Zea maysL.). A regional research approach using current and potential precision ag technology could provide a large and up‐to‐date data base on which to base nutrient recommendations across a wide spectrum of soils and crops.