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Fall Excellent Time for Soil Sampling

Friday, September 15, 2006
filed under: Fertility

The weather is usually more cooperative for fall soil sampling than in the spring, and the information helps in fertility and crop planning for the following year. Note that with the drought conditions in many areas of the Plains, it’s important to get a handle on the level of unutilized nutrients that may have been left in the soil from poorly developed or failed crops.

While soil samples for SCN may be collected at any time, the ideal time to sample is as close to soybean harvest as possible. SCN numbers tend to be highest when the plants are almost mature to shortly after harvest. Other factors might be analyzed in the soil test sample as well, such as nutrients, pH and soil organic matter. Sampling near harvest provides information and enough time for variety selection or choosing alternative crops for the next year.

Local agronomists and county extension agents/educators are an excellent resource to guide soil sampling. The following plant labs conduct plant/soil test analysis; contact the lab for instructions before submitting samples.

NDSU – Waldron Hall, Room 206, PO Box 5012, Fargo, ND, 58105, ph 701.231.7854, email: diaglab@ndsuext.nodak.edu, www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/diaglab.

UM - Soil Testing Laboratory, 1902 Dudley Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108

612.625.3101 http://soiltest.coafes.umn.edu/

SDSU – Oscar E. Olson Biochemistry Labs, Brookings, ph 605.688.6172, http://anserv.sdstate.edu.

U Neb – Lincoln Soil and Plant Analytical Lab, 139 Keim Hall, Lincoln, NE 68583

402.472.1571 http://agronomy.unl.edu/spal

K-State – 2308 Throckmorton Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506, ph 785.532.7897

www.oznet.ksu.edu/agronomy/SoilTesting/

Col State – Room A-319 NESB, CSU, Fort Collins, CO 80523, ph 970.491.5061

www.colostate.edu/Depts/SoilCrop/soillab.html

Agvise Laboratories – www.agvise.com, Northwood, N.D., ph 701.587.6010, Benson, Minn., ph 320.843.4109.

Link to more private and public testing labs can be found online at www.mda.state.mn.us/appd/soilabs.htm and www.motherearthnews.com/directory/soil_test/

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