SOIL TESTING

PLANNING AHEAD FOR WILDLIFE SURVIVAL

In order to produce high quality and nutritious foods, the fertility of the soil must first be determined.

Good Sampling Is Important: Soil sampling is the most important step in a good soil testing program. The chemical analysis of the soil sample will measure its nutrient status and serve as a guide to profitable use of lime and fertilizer.

Soil test results, however, are no better than the sample collected to represent the field. This why collecting the soil sample is the most important step in your soil testing program.

What is Needed for Sampling:

Soil Sample Containers -- These are available at your County University of Missouri Extension Center and most fertilizer dealers. Soil Sample Infomation Sheets (MP-188) are also available at extension centers.

Soil Sampling Tools -- A soil tube, soil auger, spade or garden trowel are appropriate tools for soil sampling.

A Clean Pail -- Use this to collect subsamples (cores of soil from one area) and mist the soil. Caution: For the zinc test, collect soil samples in a plastic container since galvanized pails contain zinc.

Uniform Sampling Areas: Obtain or prepare a soils map of the farm that includes differences in slope, erosion, crop growth and yield. The soil in each area should have the same: Color, slope, surface texture, internal drainage and past erosion; cropping history; fertilizer, lime, and manure treatments; intended future cropping plans.

Each sample should represent not more than 40 acres of level, uniform fields or more than 5 acres on hilly, rolling land, or non-uniform land.

Because of past manure disposal patterns, fields which join farmsteads will decline in available phosphorus and potassium with increasing distance from the farmstead. Such fields may require separate sampling for an accurate picture of their fertility status.

Collecting the Sample: Scrape of all surface litter. For cropland, take a core to plow depth (about seven inches). Sample a row crop field between the rows.

If you use a soil tube or soil auger, collect one core at each subsampling site. If you use a spade, dig one V-shaped hole 6-8 inches deep and remove a 1/2 inch thick slice from a smooth side of the hole. Then trim off sides of the slice with a trowel or similar tool leaving a one-inch-wide strip.

Whatever tool you use, repeat this procedure in 12-15 places, collecting all subsamples in a clean pail.

After collecting 12-15 cores (subsamples), break clods and mix the soil in the pail thoroughly. Transfer 1 - 1 1/2 cups of this mixture into your soil sample container. This is a composite sample.

Label each container with your name, address, and number of the sample corresponding to the information sheet, for example, Field A, Sample 1.

Prepare a map or sketch of your farm-field layout, showing areas sampled. This worthwhile practice will give you an accurate record for your soil testing history.

Supply Information Needed With Sample: A completed Soil Sample Information Sheet (MP-188) is required with each soil sample submitted for testing. This can be filled out at your local University Extension Center when your sample is submitted for analysis.

Soil Sample Analysis: Soil samples are tested for a nominal fee through the University Extension Center in your county. Drying, processing, testing and interpretation normally take 10-14 days.