Soil testing window closing with winter temperatures

Apr 13, 2018

With extended winter conditions across the prairies, the window for spring soil testing may become even shorter.

Soil testing is recommended to determine what nutrient levels are in the ground for the crop.

Most farmers do their soil tests in the fall, but some take samples again to double-check those results before seeding.

Allie Noble, an Agricultural Extension Spokesperson for the Ministry of Agriculture, says those doing spring soil tests should get out right when the ground has started to thaw out.

"For spring seeded fields it's best to do your testing just once the soil has thawed," she said. "It's not entirely based on how warm the soils are."

Noble says even though there may not be a lot of time to get a soil test done this spring, it’s still something to consider.

"Because it was a dry year last year there is potential that there was some nutrients that were not used or lost," she said. "A spring soil test should be helpful to determine what was left behind from last year's crop and the only way to know for sure is doing a soil test."

Source : Discoverestevan

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