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Soil
Nutrient & Quality Testing Program
Soil
Testing Program
Soil testing help determine the amount
of nutrients in your soil and make accurate fertilizer
recommendations to maximize soil fertility. Soil Testing
will tell you the pH, macro and micro nutrients, and organic
matter content of your soil. Fairbanks SWCD services are
free, but there is a $25 charge for each soil sample to
cover the laboratory fee and shipping.
Steps to receive soil analysis and
fertilizer recommendations:
1.
Collect soil samples.
Instructions
If you have not
collected soil sample before or you’re not sure how, call or
email the Fairbanks SWCD to make an appointment to have one
of their technicians come out and assist you.
2.
Drop them off at Fairbanks SWCD office
3.
Samples will be prepared and sent to a soil
analytical laboratory for analysis
4.
UAF Cooperative Extension Service or Fairbanks SWCD
Technician will interpret the soil analysis and prepare
fertilizer recommendations
5.
You apply fertilizer at recommended levels
If you have any questions about the
Soil Testing Program, please call or email the FSWCD office.
Soil
Quality Test Kit
The Fairbanks SWCD provides the free
service of testing soil quality. Soil quality or soil
health is “the capacity of a specific kind of soil to
function” (i.e. sustainable productivity, storing & cycling
nutrients, buffering or filtering pollutants, etc…) The Soil
Quality Test Kit helps to evaluate physical, chemical, and
biological properties.
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Physical Properties |
Chemical |
Biological |
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Bulk Density |
pH |
Soil Respiration |
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Water Content |
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Infiltration Rate |
Electrical Conductivity (EC) |
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Aggregate Stability |
Earthworms (generally not found in
Interior Alaska) |
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Slaking |
Soil Nitrate Levels |
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Morphological Estimations |
These soil properties will give you a
general trend or direction of soil quality, which can be
used:
·
to make side-by-side comparisons of different
management systems to determine relative effects on soil
quality;
·
Take measurements on the same field over time
to monitor trends as affected by soil use and management;
·
Compare problem areas in a field to
non-problem areas;
·
Compare agricultural soil quality properties
with that of a natural ecosystem.
Soil Quality Test Kit Guide
Soil Quality Test Kit Guide
To make an appointment to use the Soil
Quality Test Kit or if you have any questions.
email George Hitz
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