Leaf and Soil Analysis Special Edition

Transcription

1 Volume 11, Number 8b August 15, 2012 Lef nd Soil Anlysis Specil Edition Commercil berry growers in the Northest hve trditionlly mde stndrdized fertilizer pplictions bsed on crop ge. This prctice continues tody, some 10 yers or more fter commercil berry crop guidelines for nlysis bsed fertiliztion progrms becme widely vilble. Adoption of soil helth improving prctices by berry growers hs lso been slow. Reserch demonstrtes n nlysis bsed pproch to berry crop nutrition provides incresed yields long with better fruit qulity nd plnt helth. Use of soil helth mngement prctices (i.e. cover cropping) hs been shown to reduce weed, nemtode nd soil borne disese pressure, long with improving soil tilth, orgnic mtter nd nutrient content. Rising costs of products nd concerns bout environmentl impcts of fertilizers mke whole frm pproch to berry crop nutrient nd soil mngement highly desirble. So where do you strt when it comes to developing whole frm pproch to berry crop soil nd nutrient mngement? Begin by mking lef nd soil nlysis prt of your mngement tool box for existing plntings. Now is the time for lef nlysis; consider including bsic soil test if you hven t done one in the pst or it s been couple of yers. More informtion, smpling instructions nd forms follow below, long with rticles on interpreting your test results. Estblishing new plnting? Consider using the Cornell soil helth test prior to plnting to identify ny soil helth constrints nd develop pln to improve soil helth prior to plnt estblishment. More informtion: Need help understnding your test results? Contct your locl CCE office or cll Cthy Heidenreich, Wnt to lern more on berry soil nd nutrient mngement? View n in depth series of 12 recorded webinrs on the topic here: Lte Summer is the Time for Lef Anlysis Mrvin Pritts nd Cthy Heidenreich, Dept. of Horticulture, Cornell University, Ithc, NY Are you wsting money on fertilizer your berries don t need? Or losing money by not pplying fertilizer when they do need it? How do you know? Why Lef Anlysis is Importnt Plnt tissue nlysis is used to mesure directly the mount of nutrients in vrious plnt prts, nd for estblished perennil crops, is usully better indictor of nutrient sttus thn soil test. Recommendtions re bsed on the levels of 13 essentil nutrients in your leves t specific time of the yer (usully mid summer). Unlike visul dignoses, folir nutrient nlysis cn lert the grower when nutrient levels re pproching deficiency so corrective ction cn be tken before problems occur. They lso lert the grower if fertilizer is being over pplied. Unlike soil tests, folir nlysis provides ccurte results for ll essentil minerl nutrients, not just for the 4 or 5 reported in soil tests. Mny nutrients cn be pplied in fll, nd the recommendtions will provide detils on when to pply prticulr nutrient fertilizers nd in wht quntities.

2 Do I Need Soil Test to Accompny the Lef Anlysis? It is not required, but it is helpful. Regrdless, it is criticl tht the soil ph is in the correct rnge for the folir nlysis results to hve mening. When nd How Do I Collect the Lef Smples? Other smpling times or plnt prts my prove to be more pproprite for certin nutrients, but until more detiled studies re done, folir smples collected in mid summer re the stndrd becuse nutrient levels fluctute little then. For strwberries, recommendtions re bsed on newly expnded leves collected fter renovtion in lte July or erly August. For rspberries nd blckberries, select fully expnded primocne leves in erly August. For blueberries, select young newly mtured leves exposed to full sun in lte July. Wnt to lern more? Wtch video of berry lef smpling: Collect t lest 50 leves from cross the plnting. Smples should be representtive of the entire field. If prticulr re of the field looks poor or hs been fertilized differently from the rest, smple it seprtely. I hve the Leves, Now Wht? Remove petioles, nd wsh leves in distilled wter. Dry them, plce them in pper bg, nd send them to the lbortory for nlysis. If leves cnnot be wshed immeditely fter collection, store them in refrigertor or cooler until they my be processed; they should not be llowed to wilt prior to wshing. Once leves re dry, plce in smple bgs; lbel bgs ppropritely. Fill out the form completely nd use the proper crop code from the chrt provided. Be sure to indicte on the test submission form tht the recommendtions requested re for n estblished plnting. Agro One provides soil nd nutrient testing services previously vilble through the Cornell Nutrient Anlysis Lbortory long with dditionl nlyticl services. Key input regrding nlyticl methods nd qulity control is provided by Cornell, nd Cornell nutrient mngement guidelines re provided by Cornell through Agro One. A lef nlysis, including nitrogen, costs $24. A bsic soil test, with wter soluble boron test dded, costs $22. Results should return from the lb within dys. To obtin bsic soil test nd lef nlysis smpling instructions nd smple boxes/bgs contct: Agro One Diry One, 730 Wrren Rod, Ithc, NY or clling , or visiting In Conclusion Conduct folir tissue nlysis every other yer. Monitor soil ph regulrly, nd do bsic soil test every three yers. Remember, the lef nlysis is ccurte only if the soil ph is within n cceptble rnge ( for rspberries nd strwberries; for blueberries). Alwys be lert for ny unusul ppernce of leves, nd for unexplined reductions in growth or yield. Wnt to lern more? Wtch recorded webinr on berry crop soil nd lef nlysis: Berry Soil nd Nutrient Mngement The Bsics Questions or comments bout the New York Berry News? Ms. Cthy Heidenreich, Cornell University Dept. of Horticulture, 630 W. North Street, Genev, NY Phone: Emil: mcm4@cornell.edu Editor's Note: We re hppy to hve you reprint from the NYBN. Plese cite the source when reprinting. In ddition, we request you send courtesy E mil indicting NYBN volume, issue, nd title, nd reference cittion for the reprint. Thnk you. *Cornell University provides equl progrm nd employment opportunity.

3 Agro-One Soils Lbortory Instructions for lef smple collection from Vineyrds, Smll Fruit nd Tree Fruit pt062811jbf SMALL FRUIT 1. Time to smple. Strwberries: Smple the first fully expnded leves fter renovtion or within the first 6 weeks fter hrvest. Rspberries: Smple helthy leves on non-fruiting cnes between August 1st nd 20th. Blueberries: Smple helthy leves between July 1st nd August 30th. 2. Wht to smple. Smple helthy leves tht re well exposed to light. These should represent the verge condition of the plnting nd should not be dmged by: disese; insects; wether or mechnicl injury. AVOID mixing leves from different cultivrs. DO NOT mix leves from plnts of different ges. A minimum of 50 grms (~ 2 oz) fresh weight from minimum of 30 leves re needed per smple. If possible, ech lef should be tken from different plnt within the smpled re. Since n ccurte recommendtion is dependnt upon ph reding, we strongly suggest tht you test the ph t this time nd record it on the pproprite line of the informtion sheet. Plnts smpled should represent the verge condition within the plnting unless smples re being tken to determine cuse(s) of distinct problem or condition. 3. Soil conditions, pst fertilizer prctices nd spry progrm. Soil conditions, pst fertilizer prctices nd spry progrm should be uniform (similr) over the entire smple re. If ny of these conditions differ in different prts of the plnting, it will be necessry to smple these res seprtely. 4. Collecting nd hndling smples. Detch leves nd remove the petioles. Plce leves in dry pper bg or perforted plstic bg nd immeditely lbel the bg so tht you will know the re this smple represents. Wsh the leves before they wilt to remove spry residues nd dirt. Gently rub the leves together in mild detergent solution (dish wshing detergent in tp wter). See Wshing lef smples below for wshing instructions. Plce smple into dry pper bg with the top open nd let dry t room temperture until the leves re brittle. 5. Submission Form. Fill out the informtion sheet nd work sheet completely. Keep the work sheet for your own records to id in interprettion t lter dte. Be sure tht the lef smple bg nd the informtion sheet re mrked with the sme ID#. 6. Pckging, pyment, nd miling instructions. The 180 Pckge cost per smple is $24. It includes Totl N, P, K, C, Mg, Zn, Cu, Fe, B nd Mn. Plese mke check or money order pyble to: Diry One, 730 Wrren Rod, Ithc NY Wshing lef smples. Wsh the lef smples while still fresh, before they wilt. If lrge number of smples need to be prepred, they my be stored overnight in cold storge, refrigertor or ice chest to keep them drying out. Use distilled wter, vilble t most drug stores, for wshing nd rinsing the smples. Chnge the wter if it becomes dirty or fter 8 to 10 smples (whichever occurs first). Gently nd lightly scrub the leves together in distilled wter. Shke to remove excess wter nd immeditely rinse the smple in clen distilled wter. Agin shke to remove excess wter nd immeditely rinse the smple in clen distilled wter. Agin shke to remove excess wter. Trnsfer smple to pper bg, with top open nd dry t room temperture until the leves re brittle. NOTE: DO NOT let leves to stnd in wter complete the wshing nd rinsing process in one minute or less. Additionl submission forms for downlod re vilble on our website: Anlysis by Agro-One c/o Diry One, 730 Wrren Rod, Ithc NY 14850, Ph Nutrient guidelines provided by Cornell University. CNAL G01 Brdfield Hll, Ithc NY Ph Smpling Guidelines Fruit

4 P P jbf Agro-One Soils Lbortory 730 Wrren Rod, Ithc, NY Ph: ext Fx: Emil: soils@diryone.com Web: Nutrient Guidelines provided by Cornell University Plnt Tissue Anlysis Tree Fruit, Smll Fruit nd Vineyrds (180) - $24 per smple (includes Totl N, P, K, C, Mg, Zn, Cu, Fe, B, Mn) Customer & Billing Informtion (Required) - Nme nd ddress informtion on front. Use front for single smple nd reverse side for multiple smples. CUSTOMER NAME COMPANY / CORNELL COOPERATIVE EXT. OFFICE / EDUCATOR STREET STREET CITY STATE ZIP COUNTY (required) CITY STATE ZIP COUNTY (required FAX / RESULTS TO: FAX / RESULTS TO: For prompt processing enclose check pyble to Diry One, credit crd informtion or vlid Agro-One ccount number Pyment by Check Pyment by Credit Crd [ ] Vis [ ] Mstercrd [ ] Americn Express Amt $ Check No. Crd Number: Expirtion Dte: Bill to Agro-One Account No. Signture: 3-digit verifiction code: (locted on bck of crd) Smple Informtion (Required for lb use) Lef smple No. Dte Smpled: Field Nme / No. Collected by. Crop Informtion (Required for lb use) Crop Code: Apples Only Vriety: [ ] Hrd [ ] Soft If soil smple submitted for this re: Check one: This smple represents: (check one) Age of Plnting: (check one) Topsoil smple ID No. Subsoil smple ID No. [ ] Fresh mrket [ ] Processing [ ] An verge condition [ ] A problem re [ ] 1-3 yrs [ ] 4-7 yrs [ ] >8 yrs Crop Codes for Fruit * NOTE A MINIMUM 50 GRAMS FRESH WEIGHT IS REQUIRED Code Crop Code Crop Code Crop APP Apple ELD Elderberry PAR Per ACT Apricot GOO Gooseberry PCH Pech BKB Blckberry GPA Grpe Americn PLM Plum BLB Blueberry GPF Grpe French Americn PRN Prune CHS Cherry Sweet GPV Grpe Vinifer RSS Rspberry Spring CHT Cherry Trt NEC Nectrine RSF Rspberry Fll CUR Currents NUR Nursery STS Strwberry Spring * Recommendtions not vilble for NUR code t this time. STE Strwberry - Everberin Soil Nme if known: Soil ph if known: Soil Texture (check one) [ ] Sndy [ ] Grvelly [ ] Cly [ ] Lom Soil Dringe (check one) [ ] Very Good [ ] Fir [ ] Good [ ] Poor Smpled re (cres) Comments:

5 Importnt Plese mke copy of this form for your own records 3.2 Form P sssss Agro-One Soils Lbortory 730 Wrren Rod, Ithc, NY Ph: ext Fx: Emil: soils@diryone.com Web: Form P2 Plnt Tissue Anlysis Multiple Smple Input Sheet (to Accompny Form P) Frm Nme Account No. GENERAL INFORMATION CROP APPLES ONLY MARKET TYPE SOIL INFORMATION For your records only Lb ID For lb use only Smple ID le. Lef or Field ID. (Should mtch ID on smple bg) Dte Tken Smpled By Code See list on Form P Vriety (see list on Type: 1 = hrd 2 = soft AGE 1 = 1-3 yrs 2 = 4-7 yrs 3 = >8 yrs 1 = fresh 2 = processing Rec s Requested Y / N Soil Nme Texture 1 = Sndy 2 = Grvel 3 = Cly 4 = Lom Dringe 1 = Very Good 2 = Good 3 = Fir 4 = Poor Importnt Plese mke copy of this form for your own records

6 Stndrd Folir Nutrient Rnges Criticl vlue, Norml Rnge Nutrient Strwberries Rspberries Blueberries Deficient below Sufficient Deficient below Sufficient Deficient below Sufficient Nitrogen 1.9% % 1.9% % 1.7% % Phosphorus Potssium Clcium Mgnesium Boron ppm ppm ppm Mngnese Iron Copper Zinc

7 x 2172 How to tke soil smple 730 Wrren Rod Ithc NY Tking representtive soil smple is needed to determine lime nd fertilizer requirements nd void costly over or under fertiliztion. Follow the guidelines below to help ensure the best results. Order Your Soil Test Supplies There re 3 wys to order soil smple boxes nd smple informtion sheets: Cll ext Emil supply@diryone.com. Be sure to include your ccount number nd/or nme, street ddress nd dytime phone number plus items nd quntity needed. Specify the type of smple informtion sheet needed. Directly from our website Estblish Smpling Schedule Most soils should be smpled every 2-3 yers; more often for sndy soils, high vlue crops or problem res. To void sesonl vrition, try to smple t the sme time every yer for given field or grden. Fll is generlly considered to be the most relible time to pull smples, especilly when it comes to ph. Soil ph fluctutes nd tends to be lower in the summer when tempertures re higher nd soils re dryer. When soils dry out, slt concentrtions increse llowing C ++, Mg ++, K + to replce H + nd Al +++ on the soil surfce. The extr H + nd Al +++ in the soil solution will temporrily decrese soil ph hence ph determintion is more relible in the Fll when soil moisture is bit higher. Use the Right Tool Use tools tht re clen nd free of rust. Avoid brss or glvnized tools or continers tht cn contminte smples with zinc or copper. Stinless steel probes or ugers re best becuse they collect continuous core through the entire smpling depth with minimum disturbnce of the soil (see Figure 1.). Avoid shovels or trowels.. Collect smples in clen plstic bucket or plstic bg. Avoid collecting or shipping wet smples in plin commercil pper bgs or boxes tht re often treted with product contining boron. Wet smples cn lech boron out of the pper nd contminte the smple. If possible, send ir dried smples in nd Agro-One smple box. Figure 1. Use stinless steel probe or uger for best results. 2.4 Smpling Brochure

8 Smple t the Proper Depth Bsed on Tillge Moldbord plow surfce to tillge depth (usully 6-7 inches). Chisel plow nd offset disk smple before tillge to ¾ of the tillge depth. Reduced tillge systems No Till, Ridge till, Zone Till etc. Two Smples my be required. Smple between rows to void disturbed soil or fertilizer bnd. o Smple to 6 inch depth for ph nd nutrient content. o Tke second smple to 1 inch depth to determine if surfce pplied N hs resulted in n cid lyer tht cn reduce the effectiveness of trizine herbicides. Identify the Smpling Are Commercil Field Tke plow depth core sub-smples using zig-zg pttern in mngement re representing < 20 cres (see Figure 2.). Avoid unusul res such s ded furrows, old hedge rows, fence lines, old mnure piles, lime piles or burn piles. Avoid wet res or severely eroded res. Tke seprte smples from res within the field tht vry widely from the rest of the field in color, slope, soil texture, dringe, productivity or crop history. Smple ech contour strip seprtely if it is > 5 cres. Mix the subsmples completely in clen plstic bg or plstic bucket. Avoid smpling under extremely wet soil conditions. Wet smples usully lek in trnsit nd some nutrients in very wet soils my undergo rpid biologicl trnsformtions. Figure 2. Suggested Smpling Pttern in Commercil Field 2.4 Smpling Brochure

9 Prepre Smples for Shipment. If possible, spred wet smples in thin lyer on clen surfce nd dry t room temperture. Do not use het but fn is cceptble to ssist in drying. Remove lrge stones or sticks nd brek up lrge lumps or clods before mixing the smple thoroughly. Complete the required informtion on the smple box before ssembling nd mke sure tht it mtches the informtion on the smple informtion sheet. Plce bout ¾ - 1 pint of the mixed smple in the smple box then close it securely. Fill Out the Smple Informtion Sheet Completely. A completed sheet must ccompny ech smple. Required informtion includes; Customer nme, ddress nd contct informtion. Consultnt/Extension Eductor nme, ddress nd contct informtion Method of reporting results fx, emil or US Mil. Type of report required with or without recommendtions. o All Commercil NY smples must include vlid soil nme if results re needed o All Home, Grden Lndscpe NY smples must include soil texture nd soil dringe if results re to be reported. o All VT smples require soil dringe clss if results re to be reported Method of pyment Diry One or Agro One ccount number, DHIA herd code, credit crd informtion or check. Results will not be relesed until pyment or billing informtion hs been received. Smple informtion smple identifiction, soil nme (NY commercil smples), soil dringe & soil texture (NY Home, grden nd lndscpe smples, soil dringe clss (VT smples), nd other required informtion should be filled in completely. Recommendtions my not be generted if the informtion sheet is incomplete. KEEP A RECORD OF ALL SAMPLES SHIPPED including method nd dte of shipment. Dried ground smples will be stored t the lb for pproximtely 4 weeks to llow for dditionl test requests. Mintin records of your soil test results to ssist in monitoring chnges in soil fertility over time. This my be useful to djust soil mngement to meet crop demnds without costly over or under ppliction of nutrients. Ship Your Smples to: Diry One 730 Wrren Rod Ithc NY Phone: ext Smples cn be shipped vi U.S. Mil, UPS, Fed Ex, DHL, etc. Selecting these crriers will require dditionl pckging nd will incur dditionl shipping nd hndling costs. If using the USPS, the flt rte boxes will be your most economicl wy to ship smples. In some res, smples cn be left t milk pick-up points by prior rrngement. Where vilble, smples will be picked up three times week nd delivered to the Diry One fcility in Ithc the following morning.there is no shipping or hndling chrge for this service. Complete informtion on pick-up point loctions, procedures nd schedules cn be found t: Smpling Brochure

10 F F jbf Agro-One Soils Lbortory 730 Wrren Rod, Ithc NY Phone: Fx: Emil: Web: Nutrient guidelines provided by Cornell University Nme: Street: City, ST, ZIP: Emil / Fx: # smples x cost per smple $ = Amount Due $ LAB ID For Lb Use Only Multiple Smple Submission Form for NEW YORK Stte: Commercil Fruit Crops nd Christms Trees Grower Informtion: [ ] Check pyble Diry One Check No. LAB USE ONLY Go to for other soil testing services vilble in NY, PA, VT, NH nd MD CNAL Bg No. (855) Modified Morgn Soil Test Pckge with Cornell Generted Nutrient Guidelines, $12 per smple [ ] Pre-Pid CNAL Bg Signture: [ ] Bill Diry One Account Visit for soil mps & nmes SOIL INFORMATION Smple ID Circle pired surfce & subsurfce smples Nutrient guidelines will be reported ONLY if vlid soil nme is provided. For soil mps nd soil nmes visit Surfce or Subsurfce 1 Commercil respresenttive or CCE Eductor: Nme: County: Street: City, ST, ZIP: Emil / Fx: Other tests (See Bck) Credit Crd Check One: [ ] VISA [ ] MsterCrd [ ] Americn Express Crd Number: Smple dte Soil Nme Required 2 Crop Code 3 Crop Nme or Vriety Recommendtions for (check one) PRE- PLANT MAINTENANCE Smple Origin 3 digit CVC no. (on bck of crd) Expirtion Dte / Mintennce Only Ground Cover? Yes No LAB USE ONLY LAB USE ONLY LAB USE ONLY LAB USE ONLY LAB USE ONLY 1 Indicte SR for Surfce or SB for Sub-surfce smple 2 Visit for soil mps & nmes 3 Crop Codes provide on bck of this sheet 2.5c Form F

11 GENERAL SOIL TEST INFORMATION Stndrd tests nd lime requirement re determined on ll smples nd re included in the nlysis fee. Nutrient guidelines will be provided if vlid soil nme is included. The Modified Morgn Soil Test includes: ph, Modified Mehlich Buffer ph (lime requirement), orgnic mtter nd extrctble phosphorus (colorimetric), potssium, clcium, mgnesium, luminum, iron, zinc nd mngnese plus Cornell generted nutrient guidelines if vlid soil nme is provided. Smple Submission Instructions: Plce bout 1 cup of your well-mixed soil smple into the smple box, close the box nd lbel. For deep rooted tree fruits, surfce (SR) soil smple from the 0-8 inch depth nd sub-surfce (SB) soil smple from the 8-24 inch depth is needed since these crops obtin mny of their nutrients from the subsoil. Smples should be sent in seprte miling boxes. Indicte pired surfce nd subsurfce smples on the front of this sheet by circling the pired smples. Fill out the submission form, fold & submit it with soil smples. Ship to Diry One, 730 Wrren Rod, Ithc NY by US Mil, UPS, Fed Ex, etc. Go to the Agro-One tb t for informtion bout free overnight shipping nd hndling vilble in some loctions. Results nd nutrient guidelines re returned by US Mil, fx or emil. Supplies: Additionl forms cn be downloded from under the Agro-One tb. Order soil test kits, mnure smple kits, forge smple kits nd smple sheets t x 2142 or emil: supply@diryone.com CODE Requires surfce & sub-surfce smples t estblishment CODE APP Apples GPV ACT Apricots NEC BKB Blckberries NUR BLB Blueberries PAR CHS Cherries, Sweet PCH CHT Cherries, Trt PLM CUR Currnts PRN ELD GOO GPA GPF CROP CODES FOR FRUIT CROPS AND TREES Elderberries RSF Gooseberries RSS Grpes, Americn STE Grpes, French-Americn STS MISCELLANEOUS Requires surfce & sub-surfce smples t estblishment Grpes, Vinifer Nectrines Nursery stock Pers Peches Plums Prunes Rspberries, Fll Rspberries, Spring Strwberries, Ever bering Strwberries, Spring CODE CROP NAME CODE CROP NAME TRT Christms Tree Topdressing (Mintennce) IDL Idle lnd - Results only. No interprettion or nutrient guidelines provided. TRE Christms Tree, Estblishment (Pre-plnt) OTH Other - Results only. No interprettion or nutrient guidelines provided. OPTIONAL TESTS, Results only. No interprettions will be provided for optionl tests. (Plese enclose check for the totl cost of ll tests requested) Test (836) ph in 0.01M CCl 2 (837) Soluble slts (838) No-till ph (0-1 inch) (861) Nitrte (840) Boron (Hot wter) Cost per smple ($) $5.00 $5.00 $5.00 $6.00 $10.00 NOTE: Hevy metl nd ction exchnge cpcity (CEC) testing re vilble through the Cornell Nutrient Anlysis Lb (CNAL) Plese contct CNAL directly t , soiltest@cornell.edu or F F jbf 2.5c Form F

12 Understnd your Agro-One Soil Test Results 1. Check the crop nd soil nme Agro-One uses the soil nme nd cropping plns you report on your submission form to generte fertilizer recommendtions specificlly for your field, so it s importnt tht they re ccurte. Look up your soil s nme on the Web Soil Survey, websoilsurvey.nrcs.usd.gov/, nd don t leve the future crop pln blnk on the form. If you re not sure wht you re going to grow, t lest list mixed vegetbles s the upcoming crop. Also remember tht the recommendtions re only s good s the smple you took in your field. Your smple should be composed of mixture of t lest ten 8-inch soil cores from round the field. 2. Look t the soil ph ph is mesure of soil cidity nd ffects the vilbility of most soil nutrients. For most crops, ph between 6.0 nd 7.0 gives the best nutrient vilbility. If the ph is too high or too low, dding more fertilizer won t fix the resulting nutrient deficiency. ph must first be corrected by dding lime (to rise ph) or sulfur (to lower ph). Check the fertilizer recommendtions to see how much lime to dd to your field. ph djustments tke time, up to yer, so mend the soil well in dvnce. 3. Mjor nutrients: P, K, C, nd Mg The soil levels of these nutrients re reported in pounds per cre (lbs/a). If you prefer to use prts per million (ppm), convert by dividing in hlf (ppm = lb/a 2). The reltive levels of the soil nutrients to the right of the lbs/a results re the most importnt to notice, since the sme nutrient lb/a my be high for one soil type or crop while for nother it is medium. High is considered to be good level nd my not generte fertilizer recommendtion. A "medium" level is considered to be dequte for the short term but nutrient supplementtion my be recommended to mintin or build soil test levels for the future. Note tht due to differences in 1 8 Grower s nme nd ddresss ph detils ph cn be mesured using different methods, but for most smples, wter extrction most closely mimics wht plnt roots feel. Clcium chloride is sometimes used to mesure ph in very sndy soils, nd is vilble for n extr fee. Buffer ph is the mesure the lb uses to clculte how much lime your prticulr soil needs, since hevy soils hve more buffering cpcity nd need more lime to chnge their ph thn sndy soils. Morgn versus Mod Morgn Agro-One will use one of two chemicls to extrct the nutrients in your soil smple before they re mesured, either Morgn solution or Modified-Morgn solution. Cornell field crops experts prefer the Morgn solution becuse it reports P levels tht correlte more ccurtely with recommendtion dtbse when soil P is low, llowing for more ccurte P fertilizer recommendtions for field crops. For fruits, vegetbles, lwns nd grdens, the more economicl Modified Morgn solution will be used becuse the nutrient recommendtions re, in lmost ll cses, identicl to those bsed on the Morgn test. extrctnts nd lb procedures, the lbs/a nutrient levels re not comprble between lbs. However, the reltive levels of nutrients (high, medium, or low) should be similr between different lbs. Fct sheet prepred in 2011 by Molly Shw, nd reviewed by Steve Reiners (Cornell Veg Crops) nd Jnet Fllon (Agro-One) Grower s nme 4 5

13 4. Nitrogen: Nitrogen is not routinely reported on soil tests becuse it cycles quickly between chemicl forms (mmonium, nitrte, nitrite, orgnic N), nd is very sensitive to wether chnges nd leching. Mesuring nitrte-n (using presidedress nitrogen test) gives snp-shot of plnt-vilble nitrogen on the dy the soil ws smpled, but does not predict the seson-long nitrogen supply. The nitrogen recommendtion t the bottom of the test is the mount of nitrogen normlly pplied to grow the crop you listed on the submission form. You cn reduce the nitrogen ppliction by the mount of N you expect to get from soil orgnic mtter (see sidebr t right) nd from previous crops such s legumes. Lef tests cn be used to determine if your fertilizer progrm is dequte during the seson. 5. Orgnic Mtter: Though it mkes up only smll percentge of the soil, the orgnic mtter (mde of molecules tht contin crbon) is criticl for helthy soil function. High orgnic mtter feeds soil microbes nd leds to good soil structure, nutrient cycling nd retention, improved wter holding cpcity, nd other perks. Low orgnic mtter mens soil orgnisms re hungry nd less ctive, leding to less nutrient cycling nd structurlly degrded soil. How much orgnic mtter soil is cpble of mintining depends lrgely on the soil texture (inherent to the soil) nd on pst tillge (mngement). Soil orgnic mtter increses, lbeit slowly over mny yers, with compost/mnure pplictions, long term cover crops, nd reduced tillge. Estimting soil-supplied N You cn expect lbs of plnt-vilble N to be relesed during the growing seson for ech percentge orgnic mtter, depending upon temperture nd moisture. Remember tht pst cover crops, mnures nd composts contribute nitrogen. Soil Orgnic Mtter (%) High Medium Low Snd > Silt > Cly > From Cornell s Soil Helth Mnul 6. Other nutrients: N, Al, S, Zn, Mn, Fe, Cu, B, Mo. Agro-One routinely reports only Al, Zn, Mn, nd Fe, but does not interpret the results s high, medium, or low. The other nutrients cn be tested upon request, for n dditionl fee. For fruit crops, the norml soil rnge for most of these nutrients is uncler, nd B is best ssessed with lef test. For vegetbles only Zn nd B hve estblished levels. Soil test levels of Fe, Al nd Mn re more useful for dignosing toxicity problem thn for developing fertilizer recommendtions. If Mn + Fe + Al = >150 lbs/cre, plnt toxicity could result. Zn nd B levels for most vegetble crops (lbs/a) High Medium Low Zinc > <0.5 Boron > < Fertilizer recommendtions: These re generted by the Cornell Recommendtions Engine using the mjor nutrient results t the top of the test. The recommendtions re in pounds of nutrient, not pounds of fertilizer. For instnce, (N-P-K) fertilizer is only 10% nitrogen by weight, so to pply 100 lbs of nitrogen, you need 100/0.10 = 1000 lbs of fertilizer. In this exmple you lso get 100 lbs of phosphte (P205) nd 100 lbs potsh (K2O), which you my or my not need. Choose nutrient sources tht minimize over-pplying nutrients tht you hve in mple supply. Fertilizing smll res For res less thn n cre, you cn convert the recommendtions to fit your needs. There re ft 2 /A 8. Comments: These re importnt to red, s they will contin nutrient recommendtions relted to the minor elements, s well s instructions on ppliction timing. 9. Additionl tests: Some tests re not routinely done but re vilble upon request. Soluble Slt level is generlly used s dignostic tool if rod slt injury or high slinity due to fertilizers is suspected. No Till ph focuses on the ph in the top inch of soil, since ll nutrients nd herbicides re pplied to the soil surfce. N, S, Cu, B, nd Mo cn be requested for n dditionl fee, see other nutrients bove. 10. Missing informtion: If the mjor nutrient soil test levels chrt or the fertilizer recommendtions re missing it is becuse the soil nme or this yer s crop ws missing on your submission form. Cll the lb nd mke the correction so n mended report cn be generted. 11. More informtion: Soil science is complicted nd this fct sheet only scrtches the surfce. For more informtion, see the Cornell Nutrient Sper Progrm s extensive fct sheet collection t Fct sheet prepred in 2011 by Molly Shw, nd reviewed by Steve Reiners (Cornell Veg Crops) nd Jnet Fllon (Agro-One)

14 Lef nd soil tests on locl berry frms: Lessons from summer 2010 Molly Shw, CCE South Centrl NY Agriculture Tem This pst summer we smpled soils nd leves for nutrients on mny of the locl berry frms, nd the results tught us quite few lessons. The highlights re reviewed here. How to tke lef test: For perennil crops like berries, the stndrd recommendtions re Lef tests re tken during the min growing seson nd consist of bout 50 leves. to ssess their fertilizer needs on yerly bsis with lef tests, nd For strwberries, smple the first full-sized to use soil tests periodiclly minly to check the ph. Lef tests re leves regrowing fter renovtion. For considered more ccurte view of wht the plnt hs mnged to tke in thn soil tests. The soil represents the potentil bnk of blueberries, tke leves in full sun from the middle of this yer s growing shoot during nutrients tht the plnt ought to hve ccess to, while the lef test or just fter hrvest. For rspberries, tke tells you wht it ctully mnged to get. We ve found tht hving the youngest full-sized leves from primocnes before fruit is formed, in August. If both the soil nd lef test side-by-side is necessry to relly tese out wht s going on with berry crop nutrients. you ve used ny sprys, you should wsh the leves in dilute detergent solution, Reconciling soil nd lef tests then rinse them with distilled wter (use Idelly, the lef test nd the soil test would tell the sme story. If distilled so the wter itself isn t dding the potssium level is low in leves nd lso in the soil, simply follow the nutrient recommendtions on one of the tests (or verge them), minerls to the smple). Leves re then sent to the lb where re dried out nd nd dd more potssium in the fertilizer progrm. Similrly, it s ground up, nd nlyzed for the nutrient no-briner when clcium is low in the lef test, low in the soil test, levels they contin. Soil tests cn be tken nd the soil ph is 5.6 dd lime ccording to the soil test nd you ll be good to go. See figure 1. The complictions occur when the soil t the sme time s lef tests, or ny time the soil isn t frozen. test nd the lef test seem to be telling conflicting story. When soil tests low for nutrient, yet leves test norml There re times when the soil test levels of certin nutrients my be medium or even low, but the lef test levels of these sme nutrients re norml. Norml lef nutrient levels indicte tht the plnts re feeling well fed, despite the low soil levels. First mke sure tht the lef levels of the mcronutrients (N, P, K, C, Mg) nd boron re ll dequte tht one low nutrient isn t the key holding bck the rte of plnt growth. ( Low lef levels of Mn, Cu, nd Zn re not so worrisome becuse we don t hve dequte reserch to determine wht lef level ctully limits plnt growth keep reding below.) If lef testing shows tht the plnts Figure 1: When soil nd lef tests tell the sme story: In these smples, soil test showed low ph, s well s less thn dequte soil C nd Mg. Not surprisingly, lef C nd Mg were lso low. This grower will dd 1.5 tons/ cre of dolomitic lime, ccording to the soil test.

15 hve dequte nutrients nd the plnts re growing well, no need to worry. Perennils fruits, unlike vegetble crops, cn store nutrients within their bodies nd hve permnent root systems to scvenge in the soil. Believe the lef test nd don t dd fertilizer tht the plnt doesn t need. If the plnts ren t growing vigorously but lef tests show tht the plnts re getting dequte nutrients, you should look for something besides nutrients tht is holding them bck winter injury, root rots, insect infesttion, etc. Cyclmen mites on strwberries hve been found to be more wide spred thn previously thought, nd re probbly tking n invisible toll on strwberries yields t mny frms. Plnts whose growth is slowed by non-nutrient fctors cn find low soil nutrient levels dequte for their slow growth rte, while if they were growing fster, perhps these sme levels would not sustin their needs. See figure 2. Figure 2: When soil tests low for nutrient, yet lef tests re norml: Phosphorus is low in the soil, yet dequte in the leves no phosphorus fertilizer is needed. These berries ren t prticulrly vigorous in this cse I think cyclmen mites re to blme. How cn you know if your plnts re growing vigorously? Prticulrly on the plnt vigor end of things, it s hrd to tell if your plnts re smller thn they ought to be until you see comprison. I lerned tremendous mount by simply visiting mny different berry frms nd compring their plnt helth nd their pst mngement prctices. As hrd s it is in the height of the seson, it s well worth few hours to check out nerby berry frms. When soil tests high for nutrient, yet lef test is low Figure 3: Improper ph cn mke soil nutrients unvilble to plnts At 5.2, the ph is bit too high for blueberries, inducing n iron deficiency. This grower will topdress with 200 lbs of sulfur ech spring nd fll until the ph comes down closer to 4.5 Adding sulfur fster thn this runs the risk of burning plnt roots. Two pictures illustrte the clssic yellowing between the veins tht you see with iron deficiency in blueberries cused not by lck of iron in the soil, but by the soil ph being too high. Other times, the soil test cn show dequte nutrient levels while one or more nutrients re low in the leves. In this cse, the puzzle is to determine wht is preventing the plnt from tking up the nutrient in the soil; dding more soil nutrient is not going to fix the problem. 1. Improper ph cn mke soil nutrients unvilble to plnts. The clssic exmple of this hppening is when ph is too high for blueberries, lef iron is usully low. Iron-deficient blueberries will show interveinl chlorosis, green veins with yellowing between the veins. Blueberries re dpted to low ph soil (bout 4.5), nd when ph creeps up two things hppen tht induce iron deficiency: 1) the higher the ph, the less soil iron is in chemicl form tht the plnt cn use, nd 2) within the plnt itself, blueberries ren t very good t mnging their iron supplies when clcium nd nitrte re bundnt s they re t higher ph s, so higher levels of C nd NO3

16 interfere with blueberries use of iron in their leves. In blueberries, iron deficiency (s shown by the lef test) is cused by ph being too high, not low iron levels in the soil. The solution is to lower soil ph with sulfur. See figure Drought cn interfere with plnt nutrient uptke. We sw this quite bit in 2010 with clcium nd strwberries. We sw severl strwberry fields where ph ws fine s were soil clcium levels, but lef clcium ws low. Clcium hs to be dissolved in the soil solution to move into plnt roots, so when wter is scrce, the plnt roots cn t rech the clcium present in the soil. Sme del with blossom end rot on tomtoes nd peppers. In 2010 in centrl NY we hd dry spell in July, nd mny times fter renovtion strwberries got little neglected on the wtering end of things. We sw the sme thing with potssium lck of wter ws limiting its uptke. The solution is to wter fter renovtion! See figure Low boron. Boron is importnt for plnt growing tips, including roots. When it s limiting, roots don t grow dequtely nd the plnt cn t rech the other nutrients tht re present in the soil. In these cses, you cn see dequte soil levels of nutrient while the leves still test hungry. Strwberries seem prticulrly sensitive to low boron, nd mny of the strwberry fields showed low boron in the lef tests s well s the soil tests. In these fields, pplying boron ccording to the lef test will probbly fix the other nutrient deficiencies. Figure 4: Drought cn interfere with plnt nutrient uptke Clcium nd Potssium re low in the lef test lthough soil levels re fine nd ph is good. Low P nd K re probbly due to drought, though in this cse boron is lso low, nd this could be limiting root growth. This grower will fll fertilize with boron (5 lbs/a solubor) ccording to the lef test recommendtions. In ddition, this frm hd been using to fertilize strwberries, but since soil levels of P nd K re high, they cn switch to n ll-nitrogen fertilizer like ure nd sve money. Figure 5: Plnts re fruiting nd sucking K from plnt leves Almost ll the rspberry lef smples we took in 2010 hd low K in leves, while soil levels were fine. Lef smples re supposed to be tken before fruiting, but rspberry fruiting hppened erlier thn we expected in 2010 becuse of the wrm summer. Developing fruit ws pulling K from the leves t the time of smpling, resulting in low K in the leves. There is no need to fertilize with K when soil levels re high. Plnts re fruiting ws wrm yer, nd rspberry seson ws dvnced. We plnned to smple fll-bering rspberries in mid-august before fruit set, but this yer fruiting cme erly, so we ended up smpling individul primocnes tht didn t yet hve ny berries while other cnes on the sme plnt were beginning to develop fruit. Berries hve high K levels, so we see lower K levels in leves s they feed developing fruit. By smpling little lte, when resources were being put to fruit, we got low K levels in leves while we hd dequte K in the soil. See figure 5.

17 Wht bout micronutrients? Mny of our lef tests show low zinc nd low copper. Soil tests report number for Cu nd Zn, but don t give n interprettion bout whether tht level is high, medium or low. Mrvin Pritts, Cornell Berry specilist, sys tht reserch hsn t been done on berries to definitively determine wht levels of Cu nd Zn limit yield. Tht would tke study where micronutrient levels were vried nd yield responses mesured. The dequte levels hve been determined by smpling extremely helthy plnts, noting their micronutrient levels, nd ssuming tht levels lower tht those mesured were low. Lef tests tend to recommend micronutrient pplictions to bring up levels of zinc nd copper, but Mrvin suspects tht it s not worth the fertilizer investment in most cses. We sw plenty of berry fields in our survey whose lef tests reported low levels of Zn nd Cu but which were performing dmirbly, so t this time we recommend not worrying bout reportedly low Zn nd Cu levels. It s worth it to soil nd lef test Ech frm s unique soil/lef tests provide different puzzle with different questions to nswer. The observtions bove pplied to severl frms, nd there were other scenrios besides these. Of the 14 locl berry frms tht did soil/lef tests this summer, chnges is fertiliztion prctices were recommended for 12 of them. A soil test costs bout $16, lef test $24 $40 well spent considering the vlue of your berry crop! Mny thnks to the NY Berry Growers Assocition for prtilly funding this project.