You Can’t Afford to Cheat on Soil Testing
Dr. Adrian Johnston

LOW COMMODITY PRICES, high input costs, and variable growing conditions save increased our attention on where we can cut costs in crop production systems. Ironically, while the cost of a soil test usually represents less than one percent of the cost of fertilizer applied to a field, some farmers see it as an area where they can cut to save on inputs. Unfortunately, this is proving to be an expensive mistake in many areas of North America. Reported incidences of crop deficiencies due to phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and sulfur (S) are continuing to increase. In fact, it is the use of a diagnostic tool like soil testing that becomes even more important in times of poor economic returns.


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