Agriculture: Understanding the Importance of Soil Testing ​

The health of plants and crops rely heavily on the health of the soil where you plant it. Which is why it's crucial to conduct proper soil testing and to determine a soil conductivity map in the ground you're planning to plant in. Through testing the ground or soil, you will be able to see the available number of minerals and nutrients that reside in it.

However, soil testing isn't a simple process. Specific procedures and elements should be followed and observed for it to be considered good and thorough testing. As you go through the processes of proper soil testing, you'll get to determine its importance when it comes to planting crops and even maintaining lawns.

Why is it Important? 

Before you begin growing plants and crops, the first step is to always conduct proper soil testing. It goes deeper than simply determining the number of nutrients and minerals that are found in the ground you're planning to use.

Optimizing crop production is perhaps the biggest reason why soil testing is crucial. Without testing the ground, you will potentially put your crops at risk of being grown in an unusable soil and therefore risking the production as a whole.

Soil testing is also important to prevent soil contamination due to runoff as well as draining out excess fertilizers. If these things do happen, it will surely be a great risk factor that can potentially disrupt the entire crop production.

It can also be helpful in preventing and improving the odds of the crops through addressing possible issues of nutritional balance, save money and energy through putting in the right amount of fertilizers needed, as well as help in the analysis of certain plant culture problems.

Understanding Soil pH Levels

The presence of minerals and nutrients found in the ground is determined through the soil's pH levels. When conducting proper soil testing, the soil's pH is measured.

It shows the ground's acidity or alkalinity read on a scale ranging from 0 to 14. A low scale shows harsh acidity while a high scale indicates extreme alkalinity. When testing the soil, it should be in a neutral or balanced level which ranges somewhere in between--6.0 to 7.5.

Seeing an imbalanced soil pH will indicate a risk that can directly affect the number of nutrients available in the soil. Therefore, measures can be done in order to adjust the levels. While it may take years to adjust the soil's pH imbalance, acidic soil requires the application of limestone derived products while alkaline soils would need sulfur products.

Fertilizers and other Practices

Fertilizers also play an important role in successful and optimized crop production. When the soil pH indicates balanced levels, crops can be planted with the right amount of fertilizers that the soil can take.

A soil conductivity map can aid in adding the proper amount of solution needed to plant roots. Finally, certain fertilizer practices, as well as growing media, will need to undergo testing at least once a month.

  Precision Agronomics is located at 9438 West SR 28 in West Lebanon, IN and is proud to serve: Marshfield, Johnsonville, Foster, Stone Bluff, Bismarck, and the surrounding areas. Contact us today for more information!