Collecting Samples for Soil Testing:

Soil samples for the surface to a depth of six feet are necessary for the most accurate prediction of nutrient needs. These samples should be collected to obtain:

• a plow-layer sample (0-8 inches);
• a sample from 8-24 inches and;
• a sample from each 2-foot increment below 24-inches;
• Collect composite cores from at least 15 points in the field for the surface sample;
• Collect cores from 8-10 points for the deeper samples;
• More than one set of samples may be necessary from some fields if parts of the field differ in slope or soil characteristics such as color, sandiness or previous crop.

The plow layer sample should be analyzed for nitrate and other nutrients, organic matter concentration, and soil pH. The deeper samples should be analyzed for nitrate only. The reasons for this difference are:

1. while most nutrients are not very soluble and are mainly in the top 8 inches of soil, nitrate is very soluble, and rainfall or irrigation may leach it from the plow layer; and
2. research and experience has shown that sugarbeet can use nitrate-nitrogen from depths of six feet or more. Soil samples from the plow layer alone do not accurately predict the amount of nitrogen available to the sugarbeet crop.

For further suggestions on taking soil samples, refer to guidelines published by Cooperative Extension and instructions provided by soil testing laboratories.

Recommended Links:

• Soil Test Nebraska - This site will allow you to calculate fertilizer recommendations for all crops produced in Nebraska, either by directly entering crop and soil test information, or by uploading files with test information from analytical laboratories.
• Soil Testing More Important Than Ever For Efficient Fertilizer Use, by Gary W. Hergert, Soil and Nutrient Management Specialist, UNL Panhandle Research and Extension Center
• North Central Regional Research Publication No. 221 (Revised) – Recommended Chemical Soil Test Procedures for the North Central Region
• Guidelines for Soil Sampling, G1740 - Soil samples representative of a field are the best guidelines to detemine fertilizer needs. This publication describes proper procedures to collect representative soil samples.