Soil Health Testing

The soil health package helps farmers to benchmark and improve the health and productivity of their most valuable asset, their soil.

Why test soil health?

The package provides a snapshot of the key biological, chemical and physical characteristics that determine soil health, giving farmers precise objective analysis and industry leading agronomic advice to help build healthier soils.

Our new Soil Health Package delivers four key benefits:

• Farm Resilience - Establish a baseline of soil health to develop long term farm resilience.
• Accurate Results - Nutrient Advantage delivers scientifically verified and precise objective analysis.
• Supported Decision Making - Industry leading agronomic advice, tailored specifically to your needs.
• Securing Your Future - Benchmark and improve the health of your soil for generations to come.

About the package

The first in a series of soil health test packages, the new package comprises four test components:

• Total carbon & nitrogen & C:N ratio (combustion)
• Aggregate slaking and dispersion (Loveday & Pyle)
• Active (labile) carbon (0.033M KMnO4)
• Microbial respiration (1 day Solvita CO2 burst)

It is recommended the tests be repeated every two to three years at the same time of year. Using the Health1 code, they can be ordered as a standalone package for $80, or added to any existing Nutrient Advantage test order for $70.

For more information click on the factsheet with more detail on the test package

Grenfell trial results

With an increasing focus on the importance of soil and soil health, the questions that’s front of mind for many Australian farmers and their advisors is how best to achieve and maintain healthy soils within a productive and profitable farming system?

For senior agronomist, Jim Laycock, the ability to measure and monitor the soil’s key biological, chemical and physical characteristics is essential to understanding and improving soil health.

Jim has been running trials at IPF’s long term trial site near Grenfell in Central West New South Wales, with recent results showing how timely and accurate use of inputs can improve soil health both in the short term and over time.

The trial compared active carbon, organic carbon and total nitrogen in soil with just phosphorous applied versus with both phosphorous and nitrogen applied. Click here to read more about the trial results.