soil sampling

[wellingtonfarmer]

how often are people soil sampling, majority of our fields are 2+/3 and are having a lot of manure spread on them every year. as I am not fire fighting with low indices I think I should soil sample every 5 years however company do it think we should sample every 3. I know they make money form sampling, but wondering if there is justification in sampling every 3 in our situation or just keep sampling 5 yearly.

 

[clemmo]

Every 4-5 years imo

 

[Barleycorn]

Think it's 4 years for cross compliance.

 

[ollie989898]

how often are people soil sampling, majority of our fields are 2+/3 and are having a lot of manure spread on them every year. as I am not fire fighting with low indices I think I should soil sample every 5 years however company do it think we should sample every 3. I know they make money form sampling, but wondering if there is justification in sampling every 3 in our situation or just keep sampling 5 yearly.

I would take a few a year, certainly to show you are doing something and using it to justify any applications of manure or slurry. I would also take them for any new 'project': i.e. maize or reseeds etc. Sampling your entire farm routinely is probably data overload in many cases unless you know you are pushing it regarding the disposal of digestate, chicken muck or similar.

 

[wellingtonfarmer]

I would take a few a year, certainly to show you are doing something and using it to justify any applications of manure or slurry. I would also take them for any new 'project': i.e. maize or reseeds etc. Sampling your entire farm routinely is probably data overload in many cases unless you know you are pushing it regarding the disposal of digestate, chicken muck or similar.

Sorry should of said we currently go 20-25% of farm a year, wondering whether to go to 33% a year which seems excessive to me.

 

[ollie989898]

Sorry should of said we currently go 20-25% of farm a year, wondering whether to go to 33% a year which seems excessive to me.

Yes, I would not bother with that amount personally, unless you suspect there is an issue somewhere. I did not tell anyone to do a certain percentage of their land per year, rather I made them do a handful of fields they felt did not perform as well as the rest.

 

[Brisel]

Sorry should of said we currently go 20-25% of farm a year, wondering whether to go to 33% a year which seems excessive to me.

A quarter of your farm each year is sensible, especially if you're applying regular manures. How big and variable are your fields? Precision sampling here was an eye opener! Index 0 to 5 in the same field for P and K in some instances. Big fields with multiple soil types makes it worthwhile but smaller more homogenous fields with high indices probably isn't.

 

[Luke Cropwalker]

Look at the long term trends, if indices are fairly stable and not much is changing then no reason sample more frequently than you have been doing previously.

 

[Chae1]

I do every 5 years, same as what your doing. If I get a field come back low ph I'll test it again in 4 years.

Seems to work fine.

 

[wellingtonfarmer]

A quarter of your farm each year is sensible, especially if you're applying regular manures. How big and variable are your fields? Precision sampling here was an eye opener! Index 0 to 5 in the same field for P and K in some instances. Big fields with multiple soil types makes it worthwhile but smaller more homogenous fields with high indices probably isn't.

Average field size of 12 acres I feel like we are precision sampling!
All fields are pretty tight, 1 field 2-, 2 fields at 4s. Ph all around 6.5-6.8

 

[Devon James]

Done alot of sampling recently for different reasons by different people and labs and the range of results is incredible, for the same fields. So yeah perhaps need to have more precision in sampling or don't get too hung up about it and keep to the same principles that feel is working for us.

 

[jpd]

why not spread lime instead of waiting 4 yrs?

 

[jpd]

I do every 5 years, same as what your doing. If I get a field come back low ph I'll test it again in 4 years.