Soil Tests and Amendments
4 | Unit 1.11
Introduction
Learning Objectives
CONCEPTS
• The role of soil analysis in providing current
assessments of soil fertility/quality for crop
growth
• The necessity of soil analysis in the formulation
of accurate amendment recommendations for
soil fertility and plant nutrition programs
• The importance of soil fertility in yields, crop
health, crop quality, and the resistance and
resilience of crop plants to pests and pathogens
• Fertilization trends in modern agriculture
and the correlation with pest and disease
susceptibility
• Factors involved in nitrogen budgeting and soil
organic matter management
SKILLS
• How to access regional soils information
• How to take a representative soil sample
• How to read and interpret soil analysis report
data
• How to estimate nutrient needs of several crops
• How to develop amendment and fertilizer
recommendations for certified organic
production systems
• How to develop an estimated nitrogen budget
for your crop(s)
• How to relate observed crop problems to
fertility programs