Written by Rachel Martin
Nearly half of the soil samples collected from the Farm Advisory Service Soil and Nutrient Network farms are suffering from low pH levels according to a new report.
A study of 273 soil samples from around the country showed that almost half of the soil samples had a pH below pH 5.8, one third were between 5.8 and 6.2 and 18% were above pH 6.2.
The findings correlate with recent research which highlighted that many of the UK’s arable and grassland soils were below optimum pH levels.
Soil acidity is measured by pH with the current advice to aim for a soil pH ranging between 6.0 and 6.2 in mineral soils.
Findings
The soil phosphorus results indicated that one-third of samples had a soil P Status of ‘Low or Very Low’ while 60% achieved a ‘Moderate Status’.
Of the potassium results, only 11% of samples were ‘Low or Very Low’ while 56% were classed as ‘Moderate’.
Finally, the magnesium analysis showed that 99% of the soil samples were ‘Moderate Status’ or greater, which is expected in Scottish soils.
Manure and slurry samples were also tested for nutrients and showed high variation between individual samples.
The tests were carried out by SAC Consulting, part of Scotland’s Rural College, on behalf of the Scottish Government’s Farm Advisory Service (FAS).
The data was gathered from 20 of the farms making up FAS’s Soil and Nutrient Network (SNN) between 2016 and 2018.
Dr. Samantha Dolan, who wrote the report, said: “By combining laboratory analysis with recommendations from the Farm Advisory Service Technical Notes, farmers can improve their nutrient use efficiency while also reducing diffuse pollution risks.”
Chris McDonald, who runs the Crops and Soils theme of FAS and was also involved in writing the report, added: “This report demonstrates how important it is to test soil and organic manures for nutrient content.
The variation in nutrient levels in soils, manure and slurry reinforces the importance of testing individual samples for nutrient management planning.
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