Reading & Interpreting Soil Test Reports
Part 1 – 440 | Unit 1.11
- Chloride
a) Present in small amount in practically all soils. In farming systems, chloride may be
supplied by irrigation water and organic sources such as manure and compost. Soil
testing for chloride is not a common practice.
B. Additional Lab Tests
- Qualitative tests: Critical for assessing sustainable soil management practices over time;
see more at: soilquality.org/indicators.html
a) Aggregate stability: Indicator of soil organic matter and biological activity
b) Available water capacity: Maximum amount of plant available water a soil can provide;
indicates a soil’s ability to hold water and make it available for plant use
c) Field penetration resistance: A measure of soil compaction, measured in pounds per
square inch (psi) using a tool that measures a soil’s resistance to penetration
d) Active carbon: A measure of soil organic matter that is readily available as a carbon and
energy source for the soil microbial community, and a leading indicator of soil health
response to changes in crop and soil management (see Cornell Soil Health Assessment
Training Manual in Resources)
e) Bulk density: Indicator of soil compaction, typically expressed as g/cm^3
- Other plant, soil, and water tests
a) Plant tissue analysis: Often used in conventional systems to provide guidelines for “quick
fixes” of nutrient imbalances
b) Soil texture/physical properties: The relative proportions (percentage) of sand, silt, and
clay particles measured in the soil analysis
c) Water analysis: Can be used to determine potential source of excess salt, boron, or
sodium showing up on soil analysis
d) Soil microbial community assessment (fungal/bacterial ratio): No current consensus
about the utility of these types of tests
e) Organic fertilizer/compost: Useful information for determining fertility management
strategies that ensure proper nutrient balance
f) Pathology: Most soil and airborne plant pathogens can only be accurately diagnosed
through lab analysis
Lecture 2: Properties Measured in a Soil Analysis