Photos by Gerald Hobson, DuPont Crop Protection Services
a composite will help compensate and give a more accurate “average” reading for the fi eld. When possible, avoid taking samples from unusual areas of the fi eld, such as low spots, near roads, or near feeding areas. At a minimum, 12 cores per 40 acres or per uniform man-
agement area should be collected for a composite sample. A management area is an area with similar soil and under the same management conditions (cropping and fertilizer history). When you fi nish collecting cores, mix the multiple cores thor- oughly and place about 1 pint in the sample bag. If both 0- to 6 and 6- to 12-inch samples are collected, be sure to mix and bag them separately, and remember to mark the bags clearly so you and the lab can tell them apart. “If your soil is fairly consistent with depth, then you may
Dig a v-shaped hole, back up the shovel blade 1 or 2 inches from the edge and take a thin slice down to 6 inches.
only need the 0- to 6-inch composite sample,” advises McFar- land. “However, if the soil changes signifi cantly with depth then there could be money in that soil, in terms of nutrients like nitrogen, potassium and sulfur. And, if you’ve been fer- tilizing over the last several years, reduced yields caused by the drought could have resulted in considerable nutrient car- ryover. Soil testing will allow you to credit those nutrients and reduce your costs.”
Deliver in a timely manner or dry out sample before bagging it Moist samples can be bagged and mailed to the laboratory.
Soil samples that are very wet should either be taken directly to the lab or be air-dried at home before bagging and shipping. Spread samples out on newspaper or another clean surface to dry. Delay in delivery or drying of wet samples can lead to inaccurate results.
Use a pocketknife or putty knife to trim the sides of the sample to get a uniform core about 2 to 3 inches wide and thick and 6 inches deep.
When to sample Pasture and hayfi elds with acid soils should be sampled
in the fall or early winter so that limestone, if needed, can be applied and allowed 90 to 120 days to react and adjust soil pH. Other fi elds can be sampled in spring, allowing suffi cient time to receive results and shop for the best fertilizer product.
Interpreting results Most soil testing facilities do a good job of providing clear
recommendations based on the results of the soil test, says McFarland. Test results, however, may not show recent ap- plications of manure or legumes, as those nutrients have not yet broken down. If you’re unsure of how to interpret the results of a soil
Mix multiple samples from a pasture in the clean bucket. Pack a pint of the mix in a sample bag and send to the lab. For a list of soil testing labs, visit
thecattlemanmagazine.com.
tscra.org
test, seek additional advice from the laboratory or your local County Extension Agent. They also can help you identify the best type of fertilizer and provide recommendations on ap- plication timing, says McFarland.
January 2014 The Cattleman 29
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