| Soils are the source of thirteen of the sixteen essential | | | | 3. What do the numbers in the report stand for? |
| plant nutrients and can be viewed as suppliers of | | | | Soils usually contain much higher amounts of nutrients |
| nutrients to plants. Plants absorb available nutrients, | | | | than what we see in the reports, because lab results |
| which can be replenished by adding fertilizers. | | | | describe only the available nutrients to plant. To |
| To achieve good yield and quality, nutrient balance has | | | | estimate the amounts of nutrients which are actually |
| to be maintained. Nutrient imbalance may result in | | | | available to plants, different testing methods were |
| deficiencies, toxicities or interference of one nutrient | | | | developed. Some of these methods give empirical |
| with the absorption of others. | | | | values or measures. |
| This may result in stress to the crop, causing a | | | | 4. Don't look only at the numbers in the report |
| decrease in quality and/or yields. Soil analysis is an | | | | It's true, lab reports can be confusing: different labs use |
| important tool for evaluating or avoiding problems of | | | | different testing methods, resulting in different results |
| nutrients balance. | | | | for the same sample! They may even use the same |
| Why is soil analysis important? | | | | methods, but express the results in different units. |
| You can roughly estimate just how much fertilizers | | | | To correlate the numbers in the soil analysis report |
| you need to apply according to general growing | | | | with crop response to added nutrients, numerous field |
| recommendations for your crop. But is it too much, or | | | | experiments are required. The reason is that the same |
| maybe too little? This is where soil analysis comes in. | | | | numbers may lead to different recommendations in |
| Soil analysis eliminates at least one unknown from the | | | | different soils, different areas and under different |
| "equation": when adding nutrients to the soil, knowing | | | | conditions. The numbers in the report, coupled by the |
| the starting point is a very valuable piece of | | | | description of the nutrient content in the soil, can |
| information. | | | | indicate if the predicted crop response to fertilizers will |
| Here are the basics of how to make sense of soil | | | | be favorable or not. |
| analysis reports. | | | | 5. Choose the right lab |
| 1. Take the soil sample correctly | | | | Good labs, with good experience, use their regional |
| Taking the sample correctly is the number one step | | | | database to give a description of each nutrient |
| for any reliable soil analysis result. The soil sampling | | | | (indicating if its level is too high, too low or adequate) |
| should be well planned and preformed. For example, | | | | and even fertilization recommendations. |
| the sample site should be far from roads, fences, tree | | | | Don't take these recommendation as "instructions". |
| groups, piles of fertilizers and manure or any other | | | | Remember that no one knows your crop better than |
| object that can locally affect the soil properties and | | | | you do. You are the best judge of your crop needs |
| content. | | | | and specific conditions. |
| The sample should represent the entire field as closely | | | | 6. Use your experience |
| as possible. If the field is not uniform, and consists of | | | | The soil analysis report, together with your close |
| different areas with different properties, each area | | | | familiarity with your crop and field conditions, give you |
| should be sampled. Compiling results from completely | | | | the starting-point to tackle the next question: how |
| different areas and averaging them into one report, will | | | | much fertilizers to apply? |
| obviously give us a very misleading result. | | | | First thing to remember is that different crops remove |
| 2. Consider all growing conditions | | | | from the soil different amounts of nutrients. So |
| Keep in mind that there are many factors that affect | | | | knowing your crop needs is essential. Next is your |
| the plant growth. The soil analysis will not supply | | | | crop target yield. Generally speaking, higher fertilization |
| answers to poor or inadequate conditions, such as | | | | level gives higher yields, but only up to a certain point. |
| critically low or high temperatures, inadequate drainage, | | | | Beyond that, adding fertilizers will not increase yields |
| wrong application of fertilizers, accumulation of salts, | | | | and may even reduce them as a result of salts |
| plant diseases, pests damage, competition with weeds | | | | accumulation in the root zone. |
| etc. | | | | Bottom line is that soil analysis lab reports give us a |
| Assuming you took samples correctly and you | | | | good starting point for making better |
| acknowledge the many factors that may affect you | | | | fertilization-management decisions. They should be put |
| crop, how do you proceed to interpret the numbers in | | | | in context and their interpretation should be adjusted to |
| the soil analysis lab reports? | | | | the individual crop behavior and specific field conditions. |