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Grow the future

Farming is a way of life and is anything but predictable. That's why your farm must be efficient and resilient enough to grow crops both sustainably and profitably now and in the future.

Soil and leaf analysis

The best way to avoid wasting money on fertiliser is through soil testing and tissue analysis and then understanding what the results mean.

Avoid wasting money on fertilisers

We don't want farmers wasting money on fertilisers that won't deliver results. The best way to avoid wasting money on fertiliser is through soil testing and tissue analysis and then understanding what the results mean.

Can you afford to ignore potential issues?

Avoid waste - money or nitrogen

Without soil and crop analysis you are at risk of wasting money on a fertiliser that doesn’t contain the right balance of nutrients for your crops and soil. Worse than that, you could quite literally be pouring money down the drain with excess nitrate leaching through your soils and into surrounding watercourses.

A quick and inexpensive soil and/or crop test will give you the information you need to make an informed decision, maximise your return on investment and protect your local environment.

Soil testing followed by accurate and reliable soil analysis data gives the knowledge of the chemical, physical and biological status of a soil that is fundamental to many of the management decisions made on the farm.

Information is power!

If you’re going to test your soil and crops, why waste time with a basic test. A broad-spectrum analysis will cover a huge range of nutrient availability from potassium and phosphate to boron, manganese and molybdenum. By identifying your limiting factor and responding to it with the appropriate fertiliser or micronutrient product, you will maximise crop yield.

Soil testing enables the planning of cultivation and soil management actions as well as providing the basis for a sustainable crop nutrition programme that is accurate, timely and -- increasingly importantly -- environmentally responsible.

In short, soil testing provides the critical information required to ensure all crop nutrition decisions are accurate, efficient, cost-effective and responsible.

Why is soil pH so important?

Listen to a talk about the basics of soil pH and why this is so important to get the best results from your crops.

What are the most important analyses?

Soil analysis

Most of the work, and cost, of soil testing is in the sampling and transportation of the samples to be analysed to the laboratory. Once the sample has arrived it makes sense to get as much information as possible from the sample.

1. Nutrient analysis

Soil testing provides an inventory of crop available nutrients and the background to build a nutrient management plan. Basic soil analysis (P, K, Mg and pH) is a legal requirement in England, but this analysis only provides a part of the picture as other nutrients and factors can be limiting to crop growth. In order to get the most from a soil sample, it is important to analyse for all nutrients using Yara’s Broad Spectrum analysis group which includes the analysis for secondary nutrients, such as sulphur, and micronutrients

2. Chemical and physical analysis

The physical and chemical characteristics of the soil need to be considered before making any soil management decisions or planning a nutrient application strategy. Soil pH, Cation Exchange Capacity, organic matter and soil texture all have an impact on how we manage our soils and crops.

3. Biological analysis

An active population of soil organisms is essential to a healthy soil; they contribute to crop nutrition, recycling nutrients from the humus, organic matter and soil particles, as well as influencing soil structure. . Together with the analysis of organic matter, a biological analysis provides a rounded picture of a soil’s overall health, it’s response to soil management practices and its potential for producing high yielding, quality crops.

Leaf Analysis

A wide range of nutrients can be determined including macronutrients (nitrogen, potassium, phosphate), major nutrients (calcium, sulphur, magnesium), animal health nutrients (sodium, cobalt, iodine and selenium) and heavy metals (lead, nickel, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, mercury, copper and zinc)

Grain analysis

Grain analysis is an increasingly useful analytical tool, testing the nutrient content of harvested as a basis for future nutrient management decisions.

Testing the nutrient content of harvested grain provides you with:

Accurate measurement off nutrient take-off (as opposed to relying on standard RB209 book values for P&K).
The opportunity to identify any nutrient deficiencies in the harvested crop that may have impacted upon its success (e.g. N:S ratio and critical P levels).
Information to incorporate into future nutrient planning for following crops (e.g. micronutrient fortification and improved management of future soil fertility by maintaining P&K levels).

Listen to our soil analysis podcasts

If you are short of time why not check out our bite-size podcast for the latest thoughts from Yara's Analytical Specialists who discusses why soil testing and analysis should be the starting point to grow successful crops and to ensure the soil is left in better health for the future.