An agricultural implement for soil testing procedures, comprising: a chassis; at least one shank carried by the chassis, the shank including a shank body configured to penetrate a soil surface; and at least one on-the-go nitrate-N sensor operatively deployed on the shank body; a depth control mechanism configured for deploying the at least one on-the-go nitrate-N sensor at different selected operating depths in the soil, including at least at a first depth within a first depth zone and at a second depth within a second depth zone immediately below the first depth zone, wherein the at least one nitrate-N sensor is arranged to accumulate data relative to nitrate-N concentration in the first and second depth zones (46, 48) when the shank body and the at least one on-the-go nitrate-N sensor are operated at the first and second depths (32, 50), respectively; a controller configured to: control the agricultural -implement to deploy and operate the at least one on-the-go nitrate-N sensor at the first depth in the soil; determine a first nitrate-N condition in the first depth zone of the soil in dependence on the accumulated data relative to nitrate-N concentration by the at least one on-the-go nitrate-N sensor at the first depth in the soil; control the agricultural component to deploy and operate the at least one on-the-go nitrate-N sensor at the second depth in the soil; determine a second nitrate-N condition in the second depth zone of the soil in dependence on the accumulated data relative to nitrate-N concentration by the at least one on-the-go nitrate-N sensor at the second depth in the soil; and, calculate a rate for the application of nitrogen based on the determined first and second nitrate-N conditions in the first and second depth zones (46, 48), respectively. a chassis; at least one shank carried by the chassis, the shank including a shank body configured to penetrate a soil surface; and at least one on-the-go nitrate-N sensor operatively deployed on the shank body; a depth control mechanism configured for deploying the at least one on-the-go nitrate-N sensor at different selected operating depths in the soil, including at least at a first depth within a first depth zone and at a second depth within a second depth zone immediately below the first depth zone, wherein the at least one nitrate-N sensor is arranged to accumulate data relative to nitrate-N concentration in the first and second depth zones (46, 48) when the shank body and the at least one on-the-go nitrate-N sensor are operated at the first and second depths (32, 50), respectively; a controller configured to: control the agricultural -implement to deploy and operate the at least one on-the-go nitrate-N sensor at the first depth in the soil; determine a first nitrate-N condition in the first depth zone of the soil in dependence on the accumulated data relative to nitrate-N concentration by the at least one on-the-go nitrate-N sensor at the first depth in the soil; control the agricultural component to deploy and operate the at least one on-the-go nitrate-N sensor at the second depth in the soil; determine a second nitrate-N condition in the second depth zone of the soil in dependence on the accumulated data relative to nitrate-N concentration by the at least one on-the-go nitrate-N sensor at the second depth in the soil; and, calculate a rate for the application of nitrogen based on the determined first and second nitrate-N conditions in the first and second depth zones (46, 48), respectively. control the agricultural -implement to deploy and operate the at least one on-the-go nitrate-N sensor at the first depth in the soil; determine a first nitrate-N condition in the first depth zone of the soil in dependence on the accumulated data relative to nitrate-N concentration by the at least one on-the-go nitrate-N sensor at the first depth in the soil; control the agricultural component to deploy and operate the at least one on-the-go nitrate-N sensor at the second depth in the soil; determine a second nitrate-N condition in the second depth zone of the soil in dependence on the accumulated data relative to nitrate-N concentration by the at least one on-the-go nitrate-N sensor at the second depth in the soil; and, calculate a rate for the application of nitrogen based on the determined first and second nitrate-N conditions in the first and second depth zones (46, 48), respectively.