University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources

October 27, 2006

Fall soil sampling and a new on-line resource

 With harvest beginning to wrap up in some parts of Nebraska, now is the ideal time to collect soil samples to begin the process of planning for next year. Analysis of surface samples, collected to a depth of eight inches, will provide information on the need for phosphorus, potassium, zinc, lime and other relatively immobile nutrients. Deeper sampling, to at least 24 inches, is necessary to accurately measure residual nitrate content, which is an important component of the nitrogen recommendation equation for corn. This year there have been reports of widely varying corn yields, due to disease or weather damage, which can lead to variability in soil residual nitrate-N. Although it is wise to sample residual nitrate-N annually for fields to be planted to corn next year, it is particularly important if corn is following corn, and if yield has been reduced due to weather or pest pressure.

An important resource for crop producers in Nebraska is now available on the Internet. Nutrient Management for Agronomic Crops, EC-155, is a 166-page publication providing important information about soil fertility principles and fertilizer recommendations for crops grown in Nebraska. This publication provides detailed information on the collection of soil samples for fertilizer recommendations. It is available on-line at http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/sendIt/ec155.pdf. If you would like a hard copy version of the publication, it is now available for only $12 from the UNL Publications Warehouse, P.O. Box 830918, Lincoln, NE 68583-0918.

Richard Ferguson
Extension Soils Specialist

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Copyright 2006 by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. All rights reserved.
Published by University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources Cooperating with the counties and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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