Once we have done a site visit it is very important for us to fully understand the factors affecting your soil and plant nutrition. To do this we may carry out:
- Soils tests – agronomic and environmental
- Leaf tests – blade and/or petiole
- Irrigation water analysis
- Advise on other environmental tests
Once we have the results we are then able to interpret those and provide meaning with regards to their effect on your crop and land usage.
Soil chemical characteristics (or soil fertility) determine nutrient availability and uptake by plants. Every plant/tree variety requires different pH and nutrient levels. The important soil fertility characteristics are the organic matter, pH, major elements like calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus and sulfur and trace elements like boron, manganese, copper and zinc. Top soils will have a different pH and nutrient concentrations than the sub soils. Blocks to sample need to give a representation of the soils on the property. I advise to obtain a full nutrient picture with a combination of regular (yearly) foliage and soil analyses.
Additional analysis can be performed for special circumstances:
- Toxic Aluminium: gives the amount of aluminium that interferes with plant growth;
- Buffer pH: measures reserve acidity in the soil
- C/N ratio (Total N and Total C)
- Available Nitrogen (Nitrate and ammonium N)
- Soil Health Measurement and Potential Nitrogen Assessment (This is a measurement of microbial activity and N release potential of the soil)
The foliage (leaf, petiole) analyses needs to measure the following nutrient profile: N, P, K, S, Ca, Mg, B, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn (and for some crops Mo or Cl).
Our nutrition report will encompass the soil data, a discussion of aspects from the analyses important for productivity and health, advice on actions management can take to rectify/improve the situation including fertiliser advice. In our nutritional advice we endeavour to point to other aspects, which can have an influence on crop quality and quantity.
