How Important are Soil Tests?
As Growers Mineral, Corp. started discussing the biological phase of soil more intensely in the early 2000’s, we published an article in The Growers Solution in 2009 in the Late Fall, Edition 22, with the same title as this article. The bottom line of that earlier article was that the soil tested is totally chemical and is not that useful at predicting agricultural economic success. Since the test is totally chemical, it is very poor at trying to measure the soil’s biological functions. As the agricultural establishment starts to realize the importance of the biological phase of soil for creating agricultural economic success, the chemical test becomes less important. This lack of importance of the soil testing is starting to come to light in agricultural literature.
For example, in Ken Ferrie’s “Boots in the Field Reports” on www.agweb.com on June 5, 2023, Ferrie discussed a potash problem on an Illinois farm. The article talked about a farmer whose corn was showing classic potassium (K) deficiency symptoms. However, the farmer’s soil test for the field indicated 10% exchangeable K which, according to the soil test experts, should be enough K to prevent crop deficiency symptoms. Ferrie stated that soil conditions really determined if the plant could gain access to the element. He listed 7 conditions that can contribute to the plant’s K deficiency: 1. Cold soils; 2. Compacted soils; 3. Sidewall compaction; 4. Potassium stratification; 5. Root pruning; 6. Anything affecting or restricting root growth; and 7. Dry soil.
The question becomes: Is the soil chemical testing telling the farmer what he needs to know about the soil to achieve economic success?
Another article, “Read Soil Tests with Caution This Year,” appeared on www.dtnpf.com on October 19, 2022. The bottom line to this article appeared early in the discussion by saying “dry conditions can throw P, K, pH sampling results out of whack.” The solution to the problem, according to Iowa State University, was for the farmers to take significantly more samples and make sure to take those samples deeper in the soil profile.
Finally, www.farmprogress.com published an article “3 Reasons to Consider Biological Soil Testing” on April 7, 2023. This article states that biological soil testing is the wave of the future; however, the expense and speed of the biological laboratory test appears to be a problem with this type of testing.
The founders of Growers Mineral, Corp. believed chemical soil testing would be a difficult hurdle for the Growers Program. However, as human medicine moves in a biological direction, a soil test such as the microBIOMETER may someday be more helpful for the farmer economically. But as of now, the 2009 article in The Growers Solution is still correct when it said Dr. V.A. Tiedjens back in 1955 told producers he would make predictions about their soil calcium needs with a soil test, but he still wanted them to use the best soil test available: The strip test.
This is an excerpt from the Late Fall Growers Solution (2023) written by Jim Halbeisen, Director of Research.
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