Soil testing

Balanced plant nutrition is very important for better crop production and soil health, for proper plant nutrition, information about the presence of various major and secondary nutrients available in the soil of the field is available through soil testing. On the basis of soil test results obtained, farmers can get more production by using balanced amount of fertilizers.

 

What is soil test

    Soil testing is the process of assessing the available quantities of nutrients required for proper growth and development of plants in the soil of the field as well as checking various soil developments such as soil salinity, alkalinity and acidity.

Need for soil testing 

    Sixteen nutrients have been found to be essential for proper growth and development of plants. It is an essential nutrient. Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, potash, calcium, magnesium and sulfur (essential nutrients in major or high quantities) of these nutrients are often obtained by plants from air and water and they depend on land for the remaining 13 nutrients. Generally, all these nutrients are naturally available in the land. But due to continuous cropping in the field, all these essential elements are continuously being lost from the soil. In the event of unbalanced plant nutrition, the growth of crops is not proper and the plants are more likely to be weak and suffer from disease, pests, etc. As a result, crop production is low, besides fertilizers are also becoming very expensive. Therefore, using these nutrients in the field as per the requirement can make farming profitable. The exact amount of fertilizer to be applied to the fields can be obtained only through soil testing. Therefore, soil testing is absolutely necessary for meaningful use of fertilizers and better crop production.

 

Objectives of Soil Testing

    Soil testing is generally done for the following purposes:

• To check the level of nutrients in the soil and determine the balanced amount of elements according to the crop and variety and recommend the amount of fertilizer and fertilizer in the field.
• To identify and improve soil acidity, salinity and alkalinity and to recommend the quantity and type of reformers and to make these lands cultivable and to give important advice and suggestions.
• To find out the suitability of land for planting fruit orchards.
• To prepare soil fertility map. This map is important for determining various crop production plans and gives information about fertilizer use in a particular area.

Collecting soil samples 

    The most important thing for soil testing is to collect the correct soil sample. For this, it is necessary that the sample should be taken in such a way that it fully represents the field or area from which it has been taken. Representative soil samples are collected for this purpose. To take a representative sample, note that -

   1- The growth of the crop taken in the field before taking the sample has been the same.

    2- The same fertilizer is used in it.

   3- If the ground is flat and the same, then in such a situation, only one combined or representative sample can be taken from the entire field. On the contrary, if different crops have been grown in the field. Different fertilizer quantities have been added in different parts. The crop has been less, somewhere more. If the ground is not flat and moldy, then in these circumstances, separate representative samples should be taken from each unit by dividing it into possible units with similar properties to the field. The sample should normally be taken one month before sowing the crop and sent for testing so that the results are obtained on time and fertilizers can be used as per the recommendation.

Materials required for sample collection 

        Scrapers, shovels, buckets or trays, cloth and plastic bags, pens, threads, information leaflets, cards etc. Representative sample collection method-

1. In the field where the sample is to be taken, roam around in a jig-zag type and make a mark at 10-15 places so that all parts of the field can be included in it.
2.  Remove grass, garbage, etc. from the upper surface at the selected places.
3.  At all these places, 15 cm of water is available. Dig a V-shaped pit (6-9 inches) deep. Clean the pit and cover the pit 2 cm from top to bottom on one side of the hoof. Remove the thick soil layer and put it in a clean bucket or tray.
4. Mix the whole collected soil well by hand and put it on a clean cloth to form a round pile. Remove the pile from the finger to four equal parts of soil. Now mix the soil of the remaining two parts well again and make a round. Repeat this process until about half a kilo of soil remains. This will be the representative sample.
5. Place the dried soil sample in a clean plastic bag and put it in a cloth bag. Tie an information sheet with the sample on which all the information is written inside and outside a cloth bag.
6. Now send these prepared samples to the soil testing laboratory.

Soil Test Information Sheet

Keep the following information sheet with the samples and tie it on top-

     Farmer's Name ------------

     Father's name--------------

     Village/Mohalla---------------------

     Post-office------------------

     Development Block/Tehsil----------

     District--------------------------

     Measles number/survey of the field---------------

    Recognition-------------------------------

    irrigated/unirrigated------------------------

   Crops and seasons taken earlier----------------

   The crops to be taken forward and-------------------

    Season-

   Name/Handa0 of the sample taker----------------

    and date ----------------------------

   Other special problems related to soil--------------

Sample collection for specific conditions- 

                To take soil sample from salt affected land, 90 cm is needed. Dig a deep pit and flat from one side. Then from there to 0-15 cm, 15-30 cm, 30-60 cm from top to bottom. and 60 to 90 cm. After scraping half a kg of soil from the layers, keeping it in separate bags and writing the depth of the layers, the ground water level of the place, the source of irrigation, etc. in the information sheet, send the soil samples to the laboratory for testing.

            2 m to plant fruit plants. The sample should be taken because trees get their nutrition from the layers of the depth of the ground. Also, the amount of calcium, carbonate in the ground is important for the growth of fruit plants. 2 m. It is flat on one side in the pit of 15,30,60,90,120,150, and 180 cm. Make a mark at the depth of 1 kg and collect different soil samples (2/<> kg) from different layers. Along with other information, write the depth of the layers in the information sheet. The samples so prepared should be sent to the laboratory for testing.

Laboratory analysis and results of soil sample- 

        The collected samples should be sent to the nearest soil testing laboratories of the district with the help of their rural agricultural extension officer. Soil tests in laboratories are generally carried out to find out the level of organic carbon, soil pH values (acidity, alkalinity, damping, etc.), legitimate conductivity, available nitrogen, sulphur and potash etc. and based on the results obtained, low levels of nutrients (deficiency) Quantities given to fertilizers and khadi are recommended for further sowing crops at medium level (adequate) and high level (excess). On this basis, farmers can get good crop production by making meaningful use of fertilizers and can make proper use of the money spent on fertilizers. For analysis of micronutrients, samples should be carefully collected and specifically marked that micro-elements in the soil also want analysis.

 

Precautions at the time of sample collection- 

        - Do not take samples from where there is a pile of fertilizer.

        - Do not take samples from trees, trees, roads.

        - Use clean tools (rust-free) and clean bags.

        - Keep an information sheet with the samples.

Remember that soil testing of the field is as important as checking with a doctor for health. This must be repeated every three years.

fixed fee 

        Concessional rate fixed by the government for soil testing - The government has fixed a fine of Rs. 40 for the general farmers to analyze the micro-elements of the soil of the farmers' fields. Rs.30/- per sample and SC/ST/PWD For Scheduled Tribes, Rs. A fee of Rs.5/- per sample has been fixed. For analysis of key elements, Rs.0/- per sample was fixed for general farmers and Rs.3/- per sample for SC/ST farmers.