![]() ![]() “That gets the samples back to us quickly and timely for us to process them and get them in the system, sometimes that day. “This is a very manual observation test,” he said.īenefits and advantages to using AgSource “With the pick-up service, we’re able to go basically anywhere in the state with a group of drivers and collect samples, primarily from co-ops,” he said. The cysts and eggs are collected on a microscope slide and viewed to see the cyst and eggs per 100 grams of soil. Testing for Soil Cyst Nematodes (SCN) is done, Friedericks said, by washing off the roots of a soybean plant. “We have had several people ask about testing tile water for nitrates and using that as a management tool,” Friedericks said. They will test irrigation water, and they are seeing more of an interest in drainage water testing. “The results are reported back to the homeowner and the Health Department.” “In some counties, if you contact the Health Department, they will take the water sample for you, bring it to our lab and it is free to the homeowner,” he said. “We evaluate for nitrates, bacteria, hardness - basic water quality parameters for a home,” he said.įriedericks added the company does a lot of water testing for health departments. If you test in the spring the first time, test in the spring the next time in a year or two.” “If you’re going cover crops, you’re adding more organic matter and things will change over time. ![]() “If they’re trying to improve soil health, it is a slow process,” he said. The dead of winter, nor during the heat of summer, is a very good time for a soil health analysis, Friedericks added.Ī soil health analysis is a way to understand how a producer’s management is going. “Then, after harvest, we can see what has been taken out of the soil.” You’ve got nutrients that will become available in the spring and those are measurable,” he said. It’s a process that measures how readily organic matter and organisms can break down that organic matter and release nutrients for the soil, respiration rates and mineralization rates.”įriedericks said it is best to conduct a soil health analysis in the mid- to late-spring/early summer as soils begin to warm up and biological activity is starting in the soil, and then again after harvest is also a good time to collect a sample. We do an incubation of that and extract the water soluables and the microorganisms available nutrients through that water soluble extraction. “Soil health measures the biological activity of the soil. “Those are routine, but also have additional tests we can perform for manure too,” he said.ĪgSource tests manure samples from throughout the entire state of Iowa, with clients also from Nebraska and even as far out as Montana.įriedericks said AgSource Laboratories has started testing for soil health analysis. Oftentimes, for manure, Friedericks said they are testing for N, P, K, sulfur and zinc. If it is a liquid, we will run it like it is, but if it’s a dry material, we will dry it down further and grind it down.” Once we receive the sample, the first process is to homogenize it. “We supply the bottles to the sample collector,” Friedericks said. ![]() Testing of manure samples is done in much of the same manner as soil sampling. “All of those analyses are done and, for the most part, results are reported that evening or overnight,” he said.ĪgSource Laboratories serves the entire state of Iowa and parts of Minnesota for their soil sampling services. He added the tests are done the next day after the sample is received. Most of those are routine, but micronutrient testing is an additional request they sometimes have.” “We also do a measurement for organic matter content. “We take the ground material and will take sub-samples of that for analysis for pH and conduct tests for nutrient availability for P, K, calcium, magnesium and any micronutrients that may need applied,” Friedericks said. The drying process allows for a thorough mixing of the soil. “Once the samples are received, they are spread out, organized properly, dried and ground.” “We will go out to the co-op and pick up the samples and bring them back to the lab,” he said. Soil pH is measured in samples to determine if lime is required to neutralize acidity and make the soil more productive. ![]()
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