Soil sampling

[Zan]

Who is best to use for soil sampling? Had SOYL do some a few years ago but due to be done again and I’m keen to do the organic matter testing but not sure if SOYL is the best ??

 

[Bigjon44]

Agrii or Hutchinson do it

 

[SwanFarm]

How often do you/should you soil sample?

 

[SilliamWhale]

How often do you/should you soil sample?

I'd say depends on fertility of soil. It its all in high 3's and ph7 then you should be safe for a while. If you are low 1's and 5.6ph and have just spent a wodge on fert I'd be sampling a year later to see what the picture is

 

[Bigjon44]

We do our spud ground every year for npk and pcn so over 4 or 5 years the whole farm gets done!!

 

[e3120]

Iirc, for farming rules for water, it's a minimum of every 5 years. Don't know how that is interpreted for pp/moorland/hill

 

[Farmer Keith]

Can you get analysis for N levels? Had an EA inspection here on Thursday and he was happy with all my test results but said they’d be better with N on. I must admit I didn’t realise it was a thing.

 

[Simon Robbins]

Who is best to use for soil sampling? Had SOYL do some a few years ago but due to be done again and I’m keen to do the organic matter testing but not sure if SOYL is the best ??

Hi if you Pm me i can get you all the prices and services you need, cheers simon

 

[Zan]

Hi if you Pm me i can get you all the prices and services you need, cheers simon

Hi thanks for you response but I’ve since had a meeting with SOYL and they are doing it for me.

 

[Wombat]

Yes you can get N but it adds a chunk and the results are debatable just look at the thread on ntesting on here a few lines down maybe ask the EA if they are paying for it

 

[ollie989898]

Can you get analysis for N levels? Had an EA inspection here on Thursday and he was happy with all my test results but said they’d be better with N on. I must admit I didn’t realise it was a thing.

N testing is of no consequence to a livestock farmer really. It's a more complex and expensive test.

I used to do a few samples on each farm a year, normally before reseeding or starting a new 'project'. Building up a picture of nutrient levels over the years demonstrates you are showing some awareness of fertility and using manures and fertilisers half sensibly.

 

[Farmer Keith]

Thank you, I’ll check that thread out as I’d not seen it, my understanding was always that the n testing was too unreliable to be of any use hence why RB209 is there. He was happy with the levels of soil sampling I do in the end though so maybe it won’t come back up. The bigger problem here and I suspect for many other livestock farmers is the clamp down on earth banked silage pits. Apparently they’ve not been legal to build since 1991, but I can think of loads and loads that have been built since then.

 

[ollie989898]

Thank you, I’ll check that thread out as I’d not seen it, my understanding was always that the n testing was too unreliable to be of any use hence why RB209 is there. He was happy with the levels of soil sampling I do in the end though so maybe it won’t come back up. The bigger problem here and I suspect for many other livestock farmers is the clamp down on earth banked silage pits. Apparently they’ve not been legal to build since 1991, but I can think of loads and loads that have been built since then.

The main thing with silage pits is to make sure effluent is captured using drains and a suck out pit. The fact they have Earth banks shouldn't really matter if the base is impermeable.

 

[Farmer Keith]

If only that were the case, waiting to here back from them in how long I have to do it but concrete walls are non negotiable. Hoping to roof the whole thing over on a grant and reduce the need for effluent storage but that’s not going to happen over night.