Soil testing and plant analysis are essential tools to help measure and manage the health of soil, crops and animals. The two techniques are best used in conjunction with each other to give you the best picture of your block and crop to aid in management decisions.
Soil testing establishes the nutrient status i.e. “the reservoir” of the soil. It is the first step in designing a fertiliser programme. It does not however indicate whether plants grown in the soil are capturing all of the nutrients available or that the nutrients they need are in the correct proportions.
Plant analysis, on the other hand, indicates whether the plant has the right amount and balance of nutrients for optimal production. This is a very useful tool in assessing trace element status for animal health, pastoral herbage and in arable and horticultural crops.
Why soil test?
More accurately assess fertiliser and lime requirements to maximise your fertiliser dollar
Making informed management decisions
Establish the status of soil nutrients
Allows you to monitor the effectiveness of previous fertiliser applications
Enables monitoring of fertility trends over time
Provides a starting point for looking at sustainability
Why plant test?
Provides a guide on the critical nutrient concentrations required for maximum production and optimal crop quality for individual crop types at particular stages of growth
More reliable than soil testing for determining trace element nutritional status and fertiliser requirements of annual and perennial crops
Determines the mineral concentrations of animal feed, particularly herbage. Helping ensure maximum animal production
Diagnosis of plant health problems, including trace element deficiencies and nutrient toxicities
To monitor the effectiveness of your fertiliser programme
With all testing services, ARL provides the most current crop by crop interpretative information available to turn your test results into information that can be readily used in farm management decisions.
For further information or to make arrangements for testing please contact our Ravensdown Customer Centre on 0800 100 123 or contact ARL directly on 0800 100 668
Animal health testing services
Ravensdown is able to offer a comprehensive range of Animal health testing services.
Fine tune your drenching programs with faecal egg counting, drench resistance testing and faecal larval cultures
Assess the facial eczema risk to your stock with a faecal or pasture spore counting kits
Detect trace element deficiencies using our simple and reliable liver testing scheme
Contact our Customer Centre to discuss your requirements and arrange for a testing kit to be sent out to you today.