Soil Testing For Agriculture

The soil quality has a direct impact on crop production, and thus to remain profitable in agriculture, every farmer and grower must consider soil testing. There are certain fertility levels and measurements that indicate the soil fertility and what needs to be done to achieve top quality while keeping the costs at a minimum. Agricultural soil testing is important and highly recommended to raise the efficiency of soil and crop production.

In this article you will find all the essential information related to testing of soil:

The soil testing methods

There are two kinds of soil testing procedures that are considered to be very important for agriculture. These are Soil Test Recommendation and Soil Fertigation Recommendation. There are specific labs such as soil water plant, plant tissue, nutrients analysis, and more that get the different soil test done. Soil samples are taken from different fields, and these may be tested differently. The values for specific nutrients may vary based on the kind of methods used. Therefore, it is essential to make an accurate interpretation of the interpretative data.

These soil testing methods in the laboratory are important as they not only help to optimize crop production but safeguard the environment from contamination. The soil testing for agriculture allows the farmers to understand the soil and how to improve the nutritional balance. As they are able to diagnosis any plant culture problems beforehand, they help to save time, money, and efforts as well as energy. The soil testing indicates the potential nutrient deficiencies or any possible pH imbalance, or the presence of any excess soluble salts.

Importance of accurate soil testing

Accurate interpretation of soil testing report is very vital for effective agricultural practices. The test of the results should lie within the normal ranges of nutrient levels, pH, and soluble salts that have been set by the testing laboratory. The best possible interpretations take into account the kind of crop, its development, the soil or soilless media for growth, or any other potential problems with the crop. It also takes into consideration the specific rate, frequency of application of fertilizers.

Most greenhouse crops are known to grow reasonably well with a fairly wide pH range. If you want to adjust the pH value, you need to be sure about the specific requirements of the plants. Factors such as the nature of fertilizer, the irrigation water pH, the particle size can have major influences on pH. An inadequate level of dissolved salts could be due to insufficient watering, poor drainage, and adding too much fertilizer. Common nutrient problems can develop in soil because of excess soluble salts, Iron/manganese toxicity, Iron deficiency, and more.

You can find all this information only if you get accurate reports about the soil.

How to collect soil samples for testing?

In order to get good results with the soil tests, there are certain methods and procedures to be followed for collecting the soil samples and their testing. This is very important so that one can get precise and optimized results for soil tests. Always check the condition of the root system when sampling soil for testing. The collected samples must represent the nutrient status based on the crop and its different species. Each crop needs to be sampled separately for the problem being diagnosed. It is best to take a sample from both normal and abnormal plants and make useful comparisons.

Conclusion:

One cannot undermine the economic benefits of testing the soil for agriculture. After the crops are valuable and a lot of time and efforts go behind all the hard work. Those who are into agriculture are well aware of the challenges faced in agriculture and thus he may need to test the soil condition every few months or every ear. In order to achieve high yields and raise economic benefits, and prevent any crop failure, regular testing of the soil is a must.