Reading Time: 5 minutes Soil testing has long been a recommended practice before applying nutrients, and variable-rate fertilizing has made it more essential than ever. But the difficulty with soil testing is that so much can go wrong. Everything from how a sample is handled to the choice of a lab can impact results and recommendations. However, producers have […] Read more
Here’s how to take control of the soil sampling process
Much can go wrong when soil sampling — here are the key things to keep in mind when getting the dirt on nutrients levels
Interest in soil health is growing, but testing still lags
It’s only a minority of producers who are soil sampling and that mystifies a provincial crop specialist
Reading Time: < 1 minute Some producers may be looking at soil health a little differently, but there are still not a lot of them taking soil samples, says a provincial crop specialist. “Soil sampling gives you an evaluation of the nutrient levels in your soil,” said Mark Cutts of Alberta Agriculture and Forestry’s Stettler office. “If you know that […] Read more
Global giant buys Alberta company
Reading Time: < 1 minute Global seed-testing company SGS has purchased BioVision Seed Research of Sherwood Park. BioVision, which also has additional facilities in Winnipeg and Grande Prairie, is a leading seed, grain, and soil-testing laboratory in Western Canada. Founded in 1996 and privately owned, BioVision has 20 employees and revenues of more than $3.4 million. SGS is the world’s […] Read more
Five Q and As on soil testing
Here’s what you need to know to make sure your plants have all the right nutrients
Soil testing will help you give your crop the best possible start. Dr. Jeff Schoenau, soil fertility expert at the University of Saskatchewan, delivered a free webinar on soil earlier this winter. Schoenau had answers to five common questions about soil testing and fertility.
Choosing the best procedures for soil testing
An Alberta Agriculture and Forestry specialist outlines the basics of the important annual procedure
Reading Time: 3 minutes There are ways to maximize your investment in soil testing, says Harry Brook, crop specialist at Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “Most producers test their soils routinely every fall, after harvest or early in the spring. Information from these tests gives you the knowledge to plan the following crop’s fertilizer plan,” he says. Though there are[...]
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Skipping soil tests could cost you big time
You have to know how to interpret it, but not soil sampling and using 'the usual retail blends' can be a costly mistake
Reading Time: 5 minutes Not very many hands go up when Mark Cutts asks a room full of producers how many of them test their soil every year. “I don’t think the majority is doing soil testing,” said the crop specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “If a producer is happy with his yields and he’s not soil[...]
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