TOFG-all

Reading & Interpreting Soil Test Reports

Unit 1.11 | Part 1 – 443
Instructor’s Demonstration 1 Outline

Demonstration 1: Taking a Soil Sample for

Laboratory Analysis

for the instructor

OVERVIEW

Collecting a representative

sample of a given soil is critical

to receiving accurate soil analysis

information. In this demonstration,

the instructor should discuss the

sampling considerations given

in the Demonstration Outline,

and demonstrate the tools and

techniques used to take soil samples

and prepare a suitable sub-sample

for laboratory analysis.

RESOURCES AND REFERENCES

• Agronomy Handbook: Soil and Plant Analysis. A &
  L Western Agricultural Laboratories, Inc. Ordering
  information: http://www.allabs.com/publications/agronomy_
  handbook2.aspx


• Magdoff, Fred and Harold Van Es. 2010. Building Soils
  for Better Crops, Third Edition. Handbook Series Book
  4, Sustainable Agriculture Network. Ch. 21: Getting The
  Most from Routine Soil Tests. Free download available at:
  http://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Books/Building-Soils-for-Better-
  Crops-3rd-Edition

PREPARATION AND MATERIALS

• Stainless steel or chrome soil auger or stainless steel trowel


• Plastic buckets


• Sample bags from laboratory


• County soil survey maps


• Laboratory forms for submitting sample and request for
  analysis


• Notebook, pen, and folder for documenting


• Student prepatory reading: A & L Reference Guide—
  “Sampling Soil”

PREPARATION TIME

1.5 hours

DEMONSTRATION TIME

1.5 hours