SOIL TESTING: A SINE QUA NON FOR NIGERIA FARMERS & GARDENERS. By: Jide Awodele This journal is to Highlight the importance and sensitize most farmers to embrace modern farming system for uptimum yield with the Health interest of the consumers at heart. Soil testing is an investigative process by which soil samples chemical and organic properties are analysed through various Laboratory techniques for uptimum soil fertility Management. This aspect of agronomy is known to be one of the most crucial and important aspect because it does not only provide the farmers with the information on level of soils mineral nutrients but also saves input as the accurate amendment is made through the test result from the soil testing Lab. Various Parameters are shown in the result based on the type of soil test requested. This includes Soil Organic matter (SOM),Soil pH, buffer pH,Cation Exchange capacity, Base Saturation,level of micro and macro nutrients, water holding capacity. In Nigeria,Very few farmers get their soils tested as most have little or no undastanding of Know-how, and great benefit that is connected to this investigative process. Only the soil of Large scale (Mechanized) farms are believed to be the ones suitable for testing while while the lesser scale farmers embark on mere guess work which is out-dated in agronomic practices of modern world. The constant application of Organic manure, NPK, Urea and various liming materials without prior knowledge of how much is already in the soil is the order of the day for most farmers in Nigeria. Applying fertilizers without prior knowledge of initial soil nutrient level is not only wasteful, but could also lead to pollution of the underground water, toxicity of some elements and Production of low quality crops because youll never know when your are adding too much or too little of a particular nutrient element when fertilizing your soil. The fact remains that there is no alternative to soil testing nomatter how much we think we can predict from the vigour of our field Crops, how often we practice crop rotation.Most of the time when the farmers have harvested somuch from a field,they think of no other means to boost yield in the next harvest than NPK,this are primary Macronutrients which are more of growth stimulants,obviously with their application the crops May produce close to desired yields and look good,but this two goals are not enough as other important goals are left out. How do we guess soil pH without testing for it?Soil pH gives information on soil acidity,this affects the availability of both acidic and basic cationic nutrients. Acidic soil is not ideal as most plants dont do well in them, and just too alkaline soil as well is not desirable,keeping the soil around neutral is ideal for uptimum growth and increased yield.Amendent measures put inplace after knowing the soil pH can keep it at desired level. How do we know The Soil Organic Matter (SOM) content without a soil test? SOM serves as energy for soil microbes and increases their activities, this inturn binds the soil in aggregates forming good soil structure. This SOM content must be maintained in right percentage for its benefit to the soil bio mass to be at its peak. Only soil test can give you insight of how much you already have. Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC). This is the most important parameter you can find in your soil test result. CEC is the measure of numbers of adsorption sites your soil has in meq/100g^-1 or cmole/kg^-1 of soil. It shows your soils leaching potentials. This gives your Soil scientist or consultant a very good knowlege of your soil. He/She knows what to do with it. As it is vital in prescribing deficient soil nutrient. Without a soil test showing this, any measure put to work is just guess work. Generally, the soil test results show informations on variables that helps the Soil scientist in the calculation of nutrients in deficit, proportion and ratio of nutrient to nutrient. Lets take for instance, your soil CEC is 22.00 meq/100g of soil, and already has Extractable Magnessium (Mg^2+) of about 537 lb/acre and just because you wouldnt go for a soil test you are applying Mg rate of 400 lb/acre, this has exceeded the proportion you shoud have and the Ca:Mg will be in wrong ratio, then your soil will unknowingly tighten up, suffer Low infilteration rate, poor aeration level and wil be poorly drained, Microbial activities will be very low and SOM will take years to decompose. Now see the damage! Local Farmers often say I only have less than 2acres am cultivating thats why they think its too small a portion to be tested,but on a more serious note, if not all, anybody that produces crops for public consumption should have their soil tested because the benefits and return it brings is far greater than the process. For Analyses,Report Writing and prescription of nutrient...Contact. jideawodelestephen@yahoo 07062232675 (c) Jide Awodele
Posted on: Thu, 07 Nov 2013 19:15:20 +0000