This Ohio State Agronomic Crops Network article addresses whether corn starter fertilizers need added micronutrients (B, Cl, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Zn). Most Ohio soils already supply adequate micronutrients for corn, provided soil pH is properly limed and organic matter is not low on sandy soils. The only micronutrient with a defined response threshold is zinc: a yield response is expected only when soil pH is above 6.6 AND soil-test zinc is below 4 ppm; recommended Zn rates are referenced from the Tri-State Fertilizer Recommendations bulletin. For all other micronutrients, including boron, there is no documented history of deficiency or research-confirmed yield response in Ohio corn on mineral soils; boron interest arose during a period of high corn prices without supporting evidence, and boron response in the region has only been shown for alfalfa on sandy, weathered, low-organic-matter soils. Recommendation: if a micronutrient deficiency has never been confirmed for a field (via soil test and/or visual symptoms), including it in a starter blend is unnecessary and will not improve profitability; the added cost is better spent elsewhere. If a micronutrient is genuinely needed, a starter band placement is the most efficient delivery method. The bottom line: growers should not add micronutrient packages to corn starter fertilizer based on marketing or commodity price alone, only based on confirmed field-specific deficiency evidence.