Interpreting soil tests and micronutrient management. Soil nutrient deficiencies decrease soil quality and increase the risks of plant. Union cottage, depot campus, mansfield interpretation of soil test results. The precursor to this book, what do all the numbers mean. Soil test results will detect nutrient deficiencies, excesses or imbalances. Soil test interpretation is based on the results of trials and research which have been used to calibrate soil test values to yield response. University of tennessee fertilizer recommendations are the most profitable tested pdf. Organic carbon is a measure of the organic matter present in soil. Soil type nutrient opinion interpreting your soil test results. The soil test to determine available phosphorus is the bray i or weak bray test.
Soil organic matter is estimated, and from that a number is derived for the amount of nitrogen the soil will probably supply. Using soil test results for garden fertilization university of idaho. Zinc is fixed by iron on red basaltic soils, and since boron leaches easily, deficiencies are quite common on the north coast, particularly in horticultural crops. Plan soil sampling to allow adequate time for soil analysis and fertilizer purchase prior to application and a minimum of 10 samples should be collected and composited mixed from each. Understanding the numbers on your soil test report uaex. Interpreting soil test results what do all the numbers mean. Soil sampling and laboratory selection mt44491 soil sampling strategies mt200803ag. Soil tests are particularly important for homeowners who suspect nutrient deficiencies in their plants, have overapplied nutrients. K extractable potassium co2 is the amount available to the crop in a growing season. How to interpret my soil test report smart fertilizer. In 1997, a new soil test report form was developed for reporting soil test results and limestone and fertilizer recommendations. Interpretation of results teagasc agriculture and food. Nutrients are applied even though the soil test level for these nutrients may be sufficient.
The new forms made it possible to report soil test results both numerically and graphically. Interpreting lawn and garden soil test results garden, interpret, lawn, ornamental, result, soil, soil report, soil result, soil test, turf, yard the soil test report for your lawn or garden soil sample will mean little to you unless you understand the terms and numbers used. For each test, the document describes what is measured, recommends how and when. Immobile nutrients the results for phosphorus p, potassium k, zinc zn, and other nutrient results. Regular soil testing is a critical component of good crop production. Soil testing is also useful for identifying contaminated sites e. Ratings indicates how high or low your soil is considered in each category. Interpreting soil test results what do all the numbers. For example, changing soil sampling depth from 3 to 6 inches will drastically change soil test results. To determine the proper sampling depth, you must consider the purpose of.
Mississippi state university is an equal opportunity institution. This publication provides an overview of soil testing and general guidelines for interpreting soil test results for nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, potassium, calcium, magnesium, boron, zinc, copper, manganese, iron, molybdenum, chloride, sodium, soluble salts, organic matter, cation exchange capacity, ph, and lime. A test run on samples taken in november to allow time for lime applications to react for spring would not give reliable results about the nitrogen status of that soil in march. The results provided on your soil test report reflect the properties of the sample. Interpreting soil testing laboratory results for vegetable. Various other sources should be consulted for more indepth discussion of soil test interpretations and information on missouris soil testing program. The fertilizer rates listed are based on the soil test results in the bar graph to make it. This is information you provided upon submitting your sample. For example, the olsen or sodium bicarbonate extraction is the omafraaccredited test for phosphorus. They cannot, however, identify problems due to disease, insect pests, pesticides or poor cultural practices. Reading and interpreting soil test reports unit overview soil analyses can help form the basis of a sound soil fertility and plant nutrition program. Fertilizer is added in increments such as 20, 40, 60, or 80 pounds per acre. Heavy soils have a bulk density of about 1 g per cubic centimeter. It allows you to monitor soil fertility levels, identify potential for nutrient deficiencies, and make fertilizer decisions based on the best possible information.
Understanding soil tests pastures soils soil and water. For example, a potassium soil test value of 193 ppm equates to 386 lbsacre of exchangeable k in the top six inches of soil. Interpreting your soil test results for lawns and gardens. The kmg ratio increased with soil depth except eroded site 1. The objective of soil testing is to determine the nutrient status of a field and to provide measurement of nutrient variability. The ph scale ranges from 1 to 14, with a ph of 7 being. Interpretation of soil testing results 115 recommended soil testing procedures for the northeastern united states last revised 102009 using these definitions, the break in soil test levels between the below optimum and optimum categories is fairly clear. The soil test results are used to classify the soils into a soil index for each nutrient.
Developing fertilizer recommendations for agriculture mt200703. Four inches is good for golf turf and 6 inches is recommended for lawns and athletic fields. Interpreting mehlich 1 and 3 soil test extractant results. Soil sampling should be well planned and preformed. The interpretation section focuses on four of the important soil test results phosphorus, potassium, ph, and soluble salts and gives an explanation of them in graphical format. Simplifying soil test interpretations for turf professionals. The results provided on your soil test report reflect the properties of the sample you submitted and the testing procedures used by the university of massachusetts soil and plant tissue testing laboratory. The results of the ttest analysis revealed that there was significant positive difference in camg ratio, kmg ratio, clay, na, %bs. To get reliable results and appropriate fertilizer and lime recommendations, it is important that you submit a representative soil sample from your lawn or garden. To further ensure consistency, routinely use a lab you. However, a test is not reliable if the soil sample is taken incorrectly or improperly.
Many labs estimate the cation exchange capacity that would exist at ph 7 or even. See what fertilizers are recommended in the text below recommendations. Soil n hort crops have high n reqmts and yields are v. The primary goal of soil testing is to inform efficient and effective resource management. The soil is categorised into a soil index for each of the nutrients.
It also covers soil sampling, fertilizer application methods, nutrient deficiency symptoms in plants, plant tissue analysis, nutrient uptake and removal in crops, and conversion factors. Soil test reports vary from laboratory to laboratory. To obtain meaningful and accurate soil test results, it is important to collect soil samples from the correct depth and from multiple locations within a field. Guide to soil testing and interpreting results 2 cornell waste management institute 15 april 2009 general procedure for sample collection 1. Interpreting soil test results sustainable agriculture. These converted p and k calibrations for the mehlich 3 soil test extractant as derived from the kentucky correlations and current mehlich 1 calibrations at the university of tennessee are listed in table 2. For example, the sample site should be far from roads, fences, tree groups, piles of fertilizers and manure or any other. Soil analysis results must be interpreted within the context of expected yield response for the crop to be grown under specific environmental and management. Other useful measures on the report, such as cation exchange capacity cec, organic matter, and base saturation, further define soil factors related to nutrient. A soil test provides basic information on the nutrientsupplying capacity of the soil. It has a comprehensive listing of the soil properties relevant to most environmental and natural land resource issues and investigations. Interpreting soil testing laboratory results for vegetable crops. Publications interpreting mehlich 1 and mehlich 3 soil test extractant results for p and k in tennessee pdf. Interpretations of a number of commonly used soil testsrelating test levels to generalfertility categoriesare given later in the chapter see tables 21.
By numbers, the largest biological group in soil are bacteria figure 3. Assessing soil quality and interpreting soil test results introduction soil quality, in a viticultural context, can be thought of as the soils ability to support grapevine growth and the production of a crop with consideration to both yield and quality without resulting in soil degradation or harm to the environment. Pay attention to the extractant used for your soil test. Soil test level maintenance is accomplished by fertilizing nutrients removed by crop harvest. Interpreting soil test results is a practical reference for those who need to interpret results from laboratory analysis of soil.
Soil ph and limestone recommendations soil ph is a measurement of a soils acidity. Fertilizer and lime recom mendations are also based on crop rotations, soil texture, plant variety and yield. Each fertilizer rate is o applied to specific plot areas or to several. Understanding and interpreting your soil analysis report all analyses and recommendations are based on the sample as submitted to the laboratory. The ph scales ranges from 0 to 14, where 7 is neutral, below 7 is acidic, and above 7 is alkaline or basic. Interpreting mehlich 1 and 3 soil test extractant results for. The procedure for interpreting the meaning of soil test indices is to use data from longterm experiments and to conduct field calibration studies by growing crops in fields with a predetermined soil test value. We assume that a soil sample accurately represents the soil and crop conditions in the field or area that is sampled. A short explanation of how to read the graphs is 23 of the way down the lefthand column of the explanation of soil test report page.
Interpretation of soil test results extension store. Fertilizer is only recommended for a single growing season. Also, test soil for soluble h2o cations especially calcium and. Interpretation of soil test reports for agriculture. The analytical methods used by the laboratory were developed for climate and soil types common to new england and the northeastern u. Interpreting soil test results for the northern region translating soil test results into kilograms of fertiliser per hectare can be a challenge, especially in the northern region, where there is the added requirement to sometimes place nutrients at depth. Result interpretation department of primary industries. A soil test is an important management tool for developing an efficient soil fertility program, as well as monitoring a field for potential soil and water management problems. Read download interpreting soil test results pdf pdf. Test methods for the examination, composting and compost tmecc developed by the us composting council have been adopted by the umass soil and plant tissue lab for. Reading and interpreting soil test reports introduction 431 lecture 1. Interpreting soil test results is a practical reference enabling soil scientists, environmental scientists, environmental engineers, land holders and others involved in land management to better understand a range of soil test methods and interpret the results of these tests. Organic matter results from partly decayed plant and animal.
In this unit, students will learn how to collect soil samples for laboratory analysis, and interpret and use soil analysis report data as a tool for soil quality assessment. Interpreting soil test results for the northern region grdc. Understanding the soil test report page 2 of 7 soil test results ph the soils level of acidity, or ph, affects the availability of nutrients to the crop. It also contains a comprehensive description of the soil properties relevant to many environmental and natural land. Both colour and texture are indicators of properties of the soil and are taken into account when interpreting other soil chemical results. Discrimination in university employment, programs or activities based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a u. Soil availabilities vary with texture, soil moisture. Depending on the soil analysis requested, the lab results for p, k and other elements will be shown. Interpreting your soil test results center for agriculture. Iron, manganese and zinc are all readily available in the north coasts acid soils. Soil testing is an important tool for growing healthy lawns and gardens. Interpreting soil test results mississippi state university. Soil test interpretation guide osu extension catalog.
Secondary and micronutrient guidelines for tennessee pdf using the presidedress nitraten soil test psnt for nitrogen management in corn production systems pdf. Figures 1, 2, and 3 are the front and back of the soil information form mp188 and the soil test report form mp189 currently being used. Uga soil, plant, and water laboratory when it expanded its analytical services to water testing. Test results from regular field sampling particularly from benchmark sites allow armonitoring and detection of changes in soil parameters e. Taking a soil sample correctly is the number one step for getting reliable soil test results. The procedure for interpreting the meaning f soil test indices is to use data from longo term experiments and to conduct new field alibration studies by growing crops in fields c ith a predetermined soil test value. One example contains recommendations for a home lawn and the other example contains recommendations for a vegetable garden. Soil type is reported as the colour and the texture of the soil. Appropriate analyses are summarized in this publication, and the interpretation is presented for new. These results are used to develop fertilizer recommendations. The soil tests were run by different procedures, to provide examples from around the u. Fertilizer w is added in increments such as 20, 40, 60, r 80 pounds per acre. This time of year provides an excellent opportunity to soil sample your. The results of the t test analysis revealed that there was significant positive difference in camg ratio, kmg ratio, clay, na, %bs.
Nutrient concentrations vary with soil depth, which affects soil test results. Develop fertilizer rates specific to your soil and crop. Omafra fertilizer guidelines are based on the olsen. Therefore, r t is possible to separate treatment effects i from effects due to soil. Soil testing is the most accurate way to determine lime and nutrient needs. The agronomy handbook is a comprehensive resource that discusses soil properties, plant essential nutrients, as well as soil test results and recommendations. Consistency is essential for soil test results to be useful and comparable from year to year. Assessing soil quality and interpreting soil test results. Levels of nutrients lab uses extraction techniques that approximate amount of nutrients present in soil sample that will be available within a typical growing season optimal extraction technique varies with. Based on the questions to be answered with test results, select the speci. The example soil test reports are in exactly the same format as the one you received in the mail from the university of minnesota soil testing laboratory. Soil ph and lime recommendations soil ph is a measurement of a soils acidity.
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