The Plant Advisory Service performs chemical tests to determine if plants contain the concentrations of essential nutrients necessary for optimum growth.
Recommendations help growers correct nutrient deficiencies before they reach a critical stage.
Growers who rely on visual cues forfeit this safeguard. Indeed, by the time such cues are apparent, irrecoverable losses in yield and quality are likely to have occurred. The Waste Advisory Service helps growers make responsible decisions about the use of farm, municipal and industrial wastes and by-products as fertilizer materials for crop production. Laboratory analyses for total Kjeldahl nitrogen, total phosphorus, copper and zinc are certified by the state's Division of Water Quality for compliance with the environmental regulations specified in N.C. Senate Bill 1217. The Solution Advisory Service monitors surface-water and groundwater quality for such varied agricultural purposes as irrigation, fertilization, livestock and poultry production, pesticide preparation, pond management and aquaculture.