How hard is it to shoot a clay target in the dark? You can have a stab but the result won’t be ideal. A farm is a business and business decisions need to be based on data/logic so the best outcomes can be achieved.  The farm is a dynamic business where variables change all the time so having access to the latest data reduces this variability.

 

Soil nutrient testing eliminates the guess work and equips you with information that helps in production of healthy plants and thereby ensures maximum yield. The facility for soil nutrient testing is available fairly easily through your local cooperative extension or private laboratories. Soil nutrient testing provides comprehensive and informative test and is available at a low price if used correctly.

 

Routine soil testing is imperative to figure out nutrient deficiencies and surplus, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and soil pH. Soil testing results helps in selecting appropriate fertiliser and amendments to take corrective measure against deficiencies and other problems and thus results in optimisation of uptake of fertilizer nutrients in plants. Optimum nutrient uptake is important as fertilisers claim for sizeable portion of overall crop production expenses.

 

Soil nutrient testing is going to help you for below three reasons

• Present Status: It lets you know the status of your soil fertility and nutrient requirement.
• Corrective measures: It helps you evaluate the suitability of the current management practice over time, requirement for adjustment of existing fertilizer program and helps in ensuring optimum yield.
• Diagnostic: It helps you know the exact reason for poor yield or poor growth. The test will also show if there is an accumulation of mineral elements that are toxic to plant.

 

The best time to take soil sample

• Before you start land preparation
• After harvesting
• Whenever there is an outbreak of insects or diseases
• Whenever you have a doubt about the amount of fertilizer required
• Whenever you prepare batch of potting mixture

 

Once a farmer has a fair idea of the current nutrient status of the soil and therefore can plan more efficiently future strategies. This knowledge will also inform if any ameliorants are required to correct the soil’s physical or chemical imbalances. Not only does soil testing helps in taking corrective measures but also helps in identifying opportunities to improve farm productivity through efficient soil fertility management. A farmer can also design an appropriate nutrient plan based on certain productivity targets.  Monitoring soil nutrient status over time will help farmer identify patterns that can help build long term strategies besides helping him fine-tune inputs. The best of all, soil testing will help a farmer realise improved budgeting of farm financial resources through efficient cost effective nutrient decision.

Have you ever come across a situation where you have provided proper nutrition and sufficient irrigation to your crop, yet the yields still don’t meet expectation? Well, it’s time to reconsider all the factors that are important for healthy crop yield. Most of the farmers assume they have taken care of all the factors required for good production by taking care of plant nutritional needs such as application of high yielding seeds, proper irrigation and plant protection needs such as pesticides. You might have provided all the nutrition, but is the plant getting this nutrition? If you are feeling confused, this article is just for you.

If the soil is too compact, chances are your crop might not receive nutrition or irrigation you are supplying them. Soil with high bulk density also means low soil porosity. This is referred as density and reflects the soil’s ability to provide functional support such as movement of water and solute and soil aeration. Bulk density beyond certain threshold limit indicates impaired function. High bulk density soil can restrict root growth and movement of air and water through the soil. This will result in shallow plant rooting and poor plant growth leading to poor crop yield and reduction in available vegetative cover that protects soil from erosion.

If the water is not able to infiltrate into the soil, the soil compaction can accelerate the rate of runoff and erosion from sloping land or water logged soils in flatter areas. Under certain circumstances soil compaction is beneficial such as arid condition where soil compaction restricts movement through soil profile. However under humid conditions compaction decreases yield.

There are two main types of soil compaction namely surface and sub-surface. Surface compaction can be elevated using normal tillage operation. Subsurface compaction below the normal tillage depth remains. Breaking subsurface compact soils has resulted in remarkable yield increase in several cases. In many of the cases farmers suspect of ‘subsurface compaction’ in their field but have no idea of measuring it. A diagnostic tool that easily helps a farmer to diagnose subsurface compaction is an soil penetrometer also know a soil compaction meter.  This tool will easily help you determine if subsoiling compaction exists and at what depth. A penetrometer is a 30-degree circular stainless steel cone with a steel shaft and a pressure gauge. The gauge reads in pounds per square inch (psi). To detect soil compaction penetrometer is pushed into the soil at the rate of 2.5cm per sec. Reading between 400 to 500 psi indicates potential soil compaction. Repeat the test ensuring the areas compared have similar soil moisture content.

Deep tillage is only a temporary measure and an expensive one, besides there are plenty of adverse effects of deep tillage while combating subsurface compaction. So it is imperative to conduct a penetrometer test periodically to determine chances of possible soil compaction and take necessary preventive measure to prevent soil compaction. Any practice that naturally improves soil structure and decreases bulk density should be employed.

John Mackey the CEO of Whole Foods. “I think the critics of capitalism have got it in this very small box – that it’s all about money, And yet, I haven’t found it be that way. I’ve known hundreds of entrepreneurs and with very few exceptions most of them did not start their businesses primarily to make money.”

Businesses are at their best when reaching for a higher purpose that ranges far beyond any simplistic notions of the profit motive or self-interest. There are organic businesses in Australia that don’t have a higher purpose they just won’t the scam and profit from consumers to make a quick buck. We need to look at the higher purpose instead on how to make money.

Michael Pollan (famous for The Omnivore’s Dilemma book) takes us on a exploration of the human relationship with the plant world, seen from the plants’ point of view.