Alvey Laboratory, Inc.

Agricultural Testing and Consulting

Soil Analysis    Plant Analysis    Forage Analysis    Specialty Analysis    Additional Services

How to Sample

The biggest and most common mistake is taking too few samples per field to adequately represent that field. Take the soil samples with a soil probe, trowel or spade. The soil probe is the best tool for this job because each core will be of the same size and depth. Standard depth of sampling is 7 inches regardless of tillage practices. In no-till fields, a 2-inch surface sample can be taken to determine excessive nutrient stratification. Several (three to five) cores should be taken to represent one area or one grid. These cores are mixed together and a composite sample is taken from this mixture to represent the final sample (about a good handful of soil).

Where to Sample

Take an overview of the field. Depending on field uniformity and economics, divide it into 2.5 to 10-acre grid sections. The 2.5 acre grid is recommended. This gives an adequate sample number for the field size.

Uniformity is a must in sampling soil. To ensure accuracy and consistency, you must take the sample from the same location and the same depth — usually at a depth of 7 inches.

When to Sample

Sampling can be done at any time during the year. If initial sampling was done in the spring, then chose spring for resampling. Sample at the most convenient time of year for your operation. Be consistent with that sampling. Do not sample after recent fertilizer or lime applications.

Submitting the Soil Sample

Place the cores in a paper bag and label the bag with the field name and sample number. When submitting the bags to the lab, please include: name, address, telephone number, field names, number of samples per field and the type of test (Test 1, Test 3 etc.).

Other Individual Analysis:

• Amino Sugar Nitrogen
• Soil Nitrogen (either Ammonia-N or Nitrate-N)
• Total Soil Nitrogen
• Calcium and Magnesium
• Olsen P, Bray P2 or Sodium
• Sulfur, Boron or Soluble Salts (EC)
• Zinc, Iron, Manganese or Copper
• Heavy Metals: Lead, Nickel, Chromium or Cadmium
• Soil Texture (Particle size analysis): %Sand, Silt, Clay and Classification
• Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) by saturation
• Bulk Density

 

Alvey Field Office
19300 Marydale Road, Carlyle, Il 62231
Phone: (618)594-7645

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Test Types

Test 1: Soil pH (water), Organic Matter, Phosphorous and Potassium

Test 2: Lawn and Garden Samples

Test 3: Test #1 plus Buffer pH, Calcium, Magnesium, CEC and Base Saturation. Test 3 is recommended when calculating recommendations for variable rate technology.

Test 4: Micronutrients (only) - Zinc, Iron, Manganese and Copper

Test 5: Sulfur plus Micronutrients (Test #4)

Test 6: Complete test.  Combines Test #3 + Test #5 + Boron 

Alvey Laboratory, Inc.
1511 E. Main Street, Belleville, IL 62221
Phone: (618)233-0445

Soil Analysis

Today’s producers are confronted with squeezing more yield from increasingly expensive and scarce resources. They are also challenged to do that while maintaining good stewardship of the land and water resources that provide their living. The key to these challenges is to balance the soil fertility and allocate soil amendments to maximize yield. Soil sampling is the most cost-effective tool to accomplish this goal.

Unbalanced fertility has a number of potentially undesirable affects. Low levels of one or more nutrients limit the potential yield; they become the “limiting factor” regardless of other nutrient levels in the soil. Extremely high levels of nutrients impact the environment and waste those fertility resources. Soil fertility analysis shows the amount of each nutrient needed to obtain desired yield goals. Ultimately, proper fertilizer application results in the best yields, saves time and money and is environmentally correct.

Considerable care is needed for proper soil sampling. The sample needs to be representative of the sampled area. Remember: test results are only as good as the sample.