HI 3896 HANNA Soiltest Soil Test Handbook MAN3896R3 07/04 Soil Science and Management w w w . h a n n a i n s t .
Index SOIL AND PLANT LIFE ............................................................................................ 3 Allow the tube to stand for at least 5 minutes. The clearer the extract becomes the better. However, some cloudiness will not affect the accuracy of the test. PHYSICAL STRUCTURE ........................................................................................... 4 CHEMICAL COMPOSITION ....................................................................................... 5 pH ..
4) Depth of extraction: General: dig and discard the 5 cm (2") of topsoil For lawns: take the sample at a depth of 5 to 15 cm (from 2" to 6"). For other plants (flowers, vegetables, shrubs): from 20 to 40 cm of depth (8" to 16") For trees: Samples from 20 to 60 cm of depth (8" to 24'’). 5) Mix all the samples together to obtain a homogeneous mixture of soil. 6) From this mixture, take the quantity of dried soil that you need for the analysis, discarding stones and vegetable residues.
PHYSICAL STRUCTURE The physical structure of the soil depends on the dimension of the particles of its make up Tab. 7. (Tab. 1). In addition, the particles also differ based on their shape and volumic mass (mass per unit of volume) CROP N Apple Tab. 1. Particles classification according to “International Society of Soil Science” (ISSS) DIAMETER OF THE PARTICLES (mm) CLASSIFICATION >2 2 - 0.2 0.2 - 0.02 0.02 - 0.002 < 0.
Tab. 7.
For example, fungi prefer acidic conditions whereas most bacteria, especially those putting nutrients at the plants’ disposition, have a preference for moderately acidic or slightly alkaline soils. In fact, in strongly acidic conditions, nitrogen fixing and the mineralization of vegetable residual is reduced. Plants absorb the nutrients dissolved in the soil water and the nutrient solubility depends largely on the pH value. Hence, the availability of elements is different at different pH levels (Fig. 4).
It is important to note that whereas an insufficient dose of nutrients decreases the potential crop production, an excess can have a negative effect on the physiology of the plants and the crop quality. In addition, too much fertilization can be unnecessarily costly as well as being harmful to the environment. Management of the Soil in Relation with the pH Value Before sowing or transferring plants, use a slow-acting fertilizer to enrich the soil for long term.
Tab.4. Range of preferred pH PLANTS pH 5-6.5 6-7 6-7.5 6-7.5 6-7 6-7 6-7.5 5-7 6-7.5 6-7.5 6-7.5 5.5-6.5 6-8 VEGETABLES AND HERBACEOUS CULTIVATIONS Artichoke Asparagus Barley Bean Brussels Sprout Early carrot Late carrot Cucumber Egg Plant Lettuce Maize Melon Oat Onion Pea Pepper Early Potato Late Potato Sweet Potato Pumpkin Rice Soybean Spinach Strawberry String Sugar beet Sunflower Tomato Watermelon Wheat 6.5-7.5 6-8 6-7 6-7.5 6-7.5 5.5-7 5.5-7 5.5-7.5 5.5-7 6-7 6-7.5 5.5-6.5 6-7 6-7 6-7.5 6-7 4.
