High crop yields and efficient production bring the highest farm incomes. However, high-yielding crops require large amounts of plant nutrients that must be supplied in proper balance from the soil.
Soils constantly undergo physical and chemical changes.
Soil tests measure available nutrients in the soil and serve as the best guide to profitable use of commercial liming and fertilizing materials. One of the most important steps in a soil testing program is to collect the soil sample so it represents the area to be tested. If the sample does not represent an area, the test results and recommendations can be misleading. Get a representative sample so the soil test and recommendations are reliable for the area tested. The following procedures help ensure collecting representative soil samples.