Deep Soil Sampling for Nutrient Management | NC State Extension Publications

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The soil samples that determine lime and fertilizer needs of crops routinely come from the top 4 to 8 inches of soil. The results of soil tests help to optimize the purchase of fertilizer, maximize yield, and minimize environmental impact. However, there are times when deep soil sampling is appropriate or necessary. Deep sampling (28 to 32 inches into the ground) represents a way to monitor the movement of nutrients below the topmost 8 inches of soil. The nutrient phosphorus (P) is of particular interest because it builds up in the soil if overapplied, and it may leach into groundwater, seep into streams, or bind itself to soil particles and be carried to water bodies when soil is washed from fields. Thus, monitoring, via deep soil sampling, may be required as part of the new Phosphorus Loss Assessment Tool (PLAT), which seeks to preserve water quality. Growers and consultants normally do not take deep samples, so the collection of samples requires that they exercise extreme care. Soil

Deep Soil Sampling for Nutrient Management | NC State Extension Publications NC State Extension Publications Related Publications Browse SoilFacts Deep Soil Sampling for Nutrient Management SoilFacts Introduction Skip to Introduction The soil samples that determine lime and fertilizer needs of crops routinely come from the top 4 to 8 inches of soil. The results of soil tests help to optimize the purchase of fertilizer, maximize yield, and minimize environmental impact. However, there are times when deep soil sampling is appropriate or necessary. Deep sampling (28 to 32 inches into the ground)

Deep Soil Sampling for Nutrient Management | NC State Extension Publications

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