Experience You Can Rely On

When you need to provide growers with clear, expert recommendations, intensive soil sampling gives you the confidence to lead. Taking more soil samples is valuable for a number of reasons.

There are good reasons to take more soil samples.

Your sampling choices can result in capitalizing on opportunities or restricting future yield. Here are just a few of the things that growers should consider when debating whether or not to begin intensive grid or zone soil sampling.

Varying Soil Properties

Soil properties can differ significantly within a single field. A single composite sample won’t give you an accurate representation or clear direction when you have noticeably different areas within a field.

Changing Management Practices

If different parts of a field have been managed differently in the past, such as varying crop rotations, tillage practices, or fertilizer application methods (e.g., banded vs. broadcast) these differences will be hidden by a single sample. Nutrient variability is a “memory” of past management practices, influencing fertility levels years later.

Targeted Nutrient Management

Taking multiple samples allows you to create detailed maps of nutrient levels within the field if you’re interested in using precision agriculture techniques such as variable-rate fertilization. This information can then be used to apply at varying rates across the field, optimizing nutrient delivery to each area based on its specific needs.

Diagnosing Problem Areas

Intensive sampling can help diagnose if nutrient deficiencies are the main contributing factor when you have areas that aren’t performing as expected or are showing signs of a yield-robbing issue. It is difficult to solve a problem in the field if your fertility is not addressed first. 

By taking multiple soil samples you can gain a more accurate understanding of the variability in your soil, leading to more informed and effective decisions about soil management and fertilizer application.

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