NCSHC March Meeting Recap - Soil Health Test
The March 2023 meeting of the North Carolina Soil Health Coalition was held on Tuesday, March 7th. Coalition members were joined by Kirk Bell from the Waters Agricultural Laboratories location in Warsaw, NC. Kirk is the General Manager and an agronomist for the Warsaw lab. He provided a detailed explanation of their Soil Health Test, including what is included in the results, how to interpret the results, and how to properly submit samples to the lab.
Kirk shared the importance of sampling consistency for obtaining meaningful results from the Soil Health Test. When taking soil samples, farmers should consider the time of year the sample is taken, the soil temperature, the soil moisture level, the sampling depth, and recent management practices. These factors impact soil biological activity and may result in inconsistent results from year-to-year if they are not considered. Kirk also mentioned the importance of properly handling soil samples and quickly delivering them to the lab. He recommends taking samples from fields that are conventionally tilled at a depth of 6”-8” and taking samples from fields that are no-till or permanent pasture at a depth of 4”.
The Soil Health Test requires different sampling considerations than a typical agronomic soil test used to predict nutrient needs. However, the results from the Soil Health Test can be used to track soil improvements over time and can help farmers determine if their management practices are improving the biological activity in the soil. The test results include five soil health indicators that can show change over time, including CO2 Burst (microbial carbon dioxide respiration rate), Solvita Labile Amino-Nitrogen (SLAN is a measure of potentially available N in the amino sugar form), Active Carbon (available energy source for microbes), Aggregate Stability (water stable soil aggregates), and Organic Matter percentage.
Kirk recommended taking samples from a field that is observed to have poor soil health and from a field or area where the soil is in good condition and biologically active. These two samples will provide a baseline for your farm and will inform you about the results and improvements that you should expect. Farms in eastern North Carolina are not expected to have the same results as farms from the Piedmont or western half of the State. It is important to track the results over time for your farm based on your context and management decisions.
Soil samples can be mailed or delivered to Waters Ag Lab in Warsaw following the directions on their website. Sampling supplies and shipping labels can also be requested for free from their website. Kirk Bell can be reached at kirk@watersag.com.
Are you a farmer in North Carolina who is interested in learning more about soil health resources, such as the Soil Health Test offered through Waters Ag Lab? Join the NC Soil Health Coalition by completing the application form on our website. Members have access to additional resources such as Kirk Bell’s presentation, example Soil Health Test results, and an explanation of how to effectively use the results. Plus, members have access to the most valuable resource the Coalition offers which is a network of farmers across the State who are also implementing soil health practices. Sign up for membership and join us for our April meeting!
