Contemplate These Questions Prior To Taking Soil Sampling

1. Contemplate These Questions Prior To Taking Soil Sampling!! In this present scenario, every individual comprehends how crucial soil testing is. Moreover, the soil samples that will be pulled this year i.e. 2021 will be offering productive data through the 2025 growing season. Someone has rightly quoted that- “Soil sampling is a major investment and carries tremendous value”. “These samples will also drive most of the fertility management decisions on the farm.” However, before the probe slips into the ground, planning must be done beforehand as it is a key part of the microbial soil test process. To help people that samples are gathered from spring or fall sampling season, enlisted below are a few key questions that you should discuss with your agronomist. 1. When IS The Right Time To Collect Soil Samples For Microbial Soil Tests? Undoubtedly, the soil is always present! Meaning, the samples can be collected whenever you want. “While the first statement is true the second may require an asterisk,” quips Fleming. “The soil is always there, but pulling a high-quality soil sample isn’t always possible.” There are many factors that stop from pulling a quality soil sample for a microbial soil test. For example, frozen ground and snow can abruptly impact soil collection. In addition to this, thawing soil and excessive soil moisture can also make field access impossible. Someone has said that- “the best window to pull a soil sample is following harvest or after fields is fit for planting - up to 3-4 weeks after emergence.” 2. Is Timeline Crucial? When it comes to timeline, it can be the trickiest subject to manage. On one side, there is an eagerness to pull out samples in the fall and get outcomes and recommendations as soon as possible to apply fall fertilizer and perform fall tillage. On the flip side to this, fall can get short and wet, and turning the plows moving is the ultimate goal. For this very reason, tons of crop growers look forward to spring sampling. After all, the soil is always there! 3. Where Are My Soil Samples Going? When top-quality soil samples are collected or pulled, they must be submitted to a well- qualified laboratory that has been in the business or operational for decades.“Be sure to ask where your samples are going,” recommends Scott Fleming, nutrient management specialist and sampling director for Rock River Laboratory in Watertown, Wis. “If you don’t ask, your samples may be submitted to a laboratory that is not approved in your state.” Different states have different needs when it comes to microbial soil testing.

2. 4. What Laboratories Generally Test In A Soil Sample? The general soil test includes the determination of soil pH, available phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium levels as well as recommendations for lime and fertilizer. Whereas, other soil tests are accessible at supplemental costs, such as organic matter, zinc-manganese, etc. 5. When Should I Accept To Receive Test Outcomes? When it comes to getting soil testing, it can go anywhere between two to three weeks. The analysis takes around five working days from the time the laboratory receives the soil samples. We hope the above-mentioned questions will help you in answering all your queries. In case, if any of your questions remain unanswered, please feel free to get in touch with us. Source: https://microbiometer.com/