Are there any benefits to actual soil sampling, or can growers use the same rate for every field seeded with the same crop?
Annual field sampling provides detailed insights into soil nutrient levels, allowing farmers to optimize their fertilization strategies. More detailed sampling based on management zones elevates fertilization practices, protecting farmers’ investments and the environment. By aggregating landscape attributes into management zones, farmers gain a better understanding of soil chemical properties and field variability.
Accurate yield prediction is a highly desired feature of modern precision agriculture. Pre-season field sampling enhances the accuracy of crop yield predictions. As part of the agricultural evolution, remote sensing combined with field sampling provides the necessary data to improve crop simulation models.
The cost of under-fertilizing or over-fertilizing can significantly outweigh the expense of soil sampling and lab analysis. For example, nutrient management services cost less than a fraction of the price of a bushel of canola or wheat. In terms of nitrogen expense, creating an additional bushel of grain requires about 2-4 lbs of N/ac. Overapplying extra nitrogen leads to unnecessary nutrient losses, potential lodging in some crops, and overall decline in crop quality. Environmental damage is difficult to measure and may not be immediately apparent.
Soil sampling according to proven standards.
We follow a procedure to take the most representative samples from the fields. This involves evenly distributing sampling points while avoiding extreme areas such as very low or high elevations, and human-made patterns like old manure piles or spray misses. The soil test we provide contains all necessary macro and micronutrients, allowing us to create accurate recommendations for growers and track nutrient trends in the soil over time.
GPS-Referenced Sampling
GPS-referenced soil sampling ensures samples are taken from the same locations each year, allowing for consistent and precise monitoring of soil properties over time. This consistency is important for accurately tracking changes in soil nutrient levels and other properties. Long-term data is hard to overestimate for assessing the impact of different management practices and making adjustments to improve soil health and productivity. Sampling the same GPS-referenced points reduces field error and operator variability, greatly improving accuracy. Even though a field sample is taken from a small part of the field, it should represent the entire field consistently. It is scientifically proven that sampling every 10 acres in a 160-acre quarter achieves the necessary accuracy, for example.
Sampling Depth
Sampling at multiple depths allows for more precise nutrient management. Nutrient availability and organic matter can vary significantly with soil depth. During sampling, knowledgeable agronomists can assess the soil profile below 6 and 12 inches and examine soil characteristics, such as the depth of topsoil, subsoil quality, and moisture content. At a single sampling depth (0-12 inches), a significant amount of nitrogen that has moved deeper due to rain may be overlooked and not included in recommendations. Later in the season, developing crop roots will reach and assimilate this nitrogen or other mobile nutrients, which may constitute up to 30% of the total available nitrogen in some seasons.
Our company employs a scientifically proven approach of two-depth sampling: 0-6 and 6-24 inches. This method allows us to make the most informed decisions to help farmers apply the nutrients they need for optimal yields. Our team of senior local agronomists understands the specifics of the soils in their areas. It is a standard practice for agronomists to sample new growers’ fields for the best outcomes. We operate in all Prairie Provinces – Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. Contact us to book before the sampling season starts to secure the best pricing.