Soil Analysis is a farmer what medical laboratory analysis is to a doctor. This activitiy is essential in helping the farmer with the right diagnosis of his productivity problems. A soil analysis result should contain elemental analysis, particle size distribution, moisture content and pH.
Soil Analysis: Why?
- To determine the level of availability of nutrients or the need for its introduction
- To predict the increase in yields and profitability of fertilization (poor soils do not always provide yield increase due to fertilization because of possible limiting factors)
- To provide the basis for calculating the required fertilizing of each crop
- To evaluate the status (supply) of each nutrient element and simultaneously determine the compensation plan (nutrient management).
According to the content of nutrients in the soil obtained by chemical analysis and the requirements of the culture for a certain yield, it is easier to determine the amount of required fertilizer to achieve high and quality yields. In determining the amount of nutrients should be noted that at the best condition in the soil plants can adopt up to 80% of nitrogen, 40% of phosphorus, 60% of potassium and 40% of magnesium.
High quality soil analysis is basis of planning of fertilizing, and thus the quality of the entire production cycle, which results in a high quality and yield and better farm management. When to make a soil analysis? Taking soil samples for analysis is done after harvesting of crops and before any fertilizing, at optimum soil moisture. The soil must not be depressed, along the edge of the plot or where mineral fertilizers are unevenly scattered, because the sample will not be representative and the resulting data will not be a reflection of the real situation.
In the case of permanent crops (orchards and vineyards) analysis is carried out every 4-5 years. How to properly perform sampling? Samples are taken by probe, but can also by shovel. If the sample is taken by shovel, the procedure is as follows:
- Dig a pit
- Vertically cut the soil along the pit wall
- The shovel must be pulled out so that the soil does not slips off it
- Forming of sample – longitudinally along the middle of shovel soil width cca 5 cm is allowed, and left and right of the sample soil is cropped and removed.
Steps to take
* Don’t just add bags/sachets/bottles of fertilizers to your soil because your friend added same quantity of fertilizer to his/her soil or a literature tells you to do so. It is RISKY!
* Don’t add the same formular/composition of fertilizer on your soil because your friend applied same formular/composition on his/her soil or literature tells you so. It is RISKY!
* Even though a study had been previously done on your soil for nutrient analysis, remember it is your turn to plant on same soil and NUTRIENT DEPLETS.
* You can actually determine the nutrient available in your soil, either the nutrient/element needed in large quantity or less quantity which gives you a CLEAR picture of the amount/quantity of fertilizer needed on your soil and ultimately reduces your cost of fertilizer input.
* You can also determine if the soil is suitable for the production of your crop
* Soil Analysis gives you the answer. DON’T RISK YOUR PROJECT…Analyze your soil today!
SOIL ROUTINE ANALYSIS:
* pH
* Particle Size Distribution (Sand Silt, Clay)
* Exchangeable Cations (Ca, Mg, Na, K)
* Exchangeable Acidity (Al+ , H+)
* Effective Cation Exchange Capacity
* Base Saturation
* Total Nitrogen
* Total Organic Carbon
* Available Phosphorus
* Micro-Nutrients (Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn)
FORMS OF NITROGEN
* Ammonium Nitrogen
* Nitrate Nitrogen
* Nitrite Nitrogen
TOTAL ANALYSIS
* Sample Dissolution (Digestion)
* Phosphate
* Sulphate
METAL ANALYSIS
* Sample Dissolution (Digestion)
* Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni, Co, K, Na, etc
Reference Agrivi
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