The frequency of soil testing

[leon]

Lack of mineral nutrition in the soil can increase the cost of production and result in reduced crop yield and profitability. Does constant fertilizer use cause mineral depletion? Which is the best soil testing method, and what is the recommended frequency?

 

[RuralFarm]

A soil sample should be taken once in three years. Also, it is advisable to carry out soil testing when there is a change of crop or if the farmer faces problems during the growing season.

 

[Syd. L]

This is a complicated question. A local extension office can be very valuable here. If you have a simple, one crop type of operation, once every few years should be fine.

 

[MartyR]

I don't test mine as often as I probably could. I usually only test if I'm planting in a new field or I notice that my crops are failing to thrive. I used to be more methodical about it, but since my land has never shown big swings it seemed unnecessary to continue the practice.

 

[Guntar]

In California, in my farm, we double crop. We do the soil testing after first crop is harvested, which is in late spring ~May. That way I have amendment plan ready to go after the second crop is harvested in ~September.
We soil test 12" deep for row crops. If you would plan permanent crops (tree crops),I recommend testing deeper at 1', 4' and deeper 6'-8'.

 

[More Green]

Does constant fertilizer use cause mineral depletion?

It depends on the fertilizer and mineral composition of the soil. Typically, it doesn't happen if you do tests beforehand to see what the composition is and which fertilizer is best for it.

 

[The Back 40]

I did this years ago, and it didn't seem to do much good. Then again, it was my first time doing it. It is a very precise process, to be sure.

 

[KL9110]

Most popular in my area ( NW MO, SW IA) is grid sampling. Field is broke up into 2.5 ac grids. Sample points have GPS coordinates attached to them. That way the next time it is tested, the sampler can go back to the same spot. We’re typically every 4 years which gives time for two fertilizer applications.