Soil testing a key component in making sure farmland is outputting what's needed

With the ground about to freeze across the prairies, many farmers are getting soil sampling done before the end of the year.

Testing out just what's in many farmer's grounds is a key part of making sure you know what's under the surface and what might need to go in.

Warren Ward, an agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada, talks about the necessity of that testing.

"Soil testing or soil sampling is a big component of 4R nutrient management. Those 4 Rs are the right source of fertilizer at the right rate at the right time and in the right place. Really we're trying to determine the right rate of fertilizer for that field. It really does give you that base background information that you can go and start making those rate decisions so that you can achieve your yield target."

Ward says that there are a number of ways to do that testing, including taking the average across the field.

There is another, newer tactic which could also be useful for producers.

"For instance, looking at zone management, so taking soil samples from zones within the field and however many zones you've identified there could be three, could be five, and really trying to hone in on each particular zone and determine what the right rate is there. Those are probably the two main ones that are in use right now."

Producers can also take a look at more targeted testing if a particular spot in a field is producing unwanted effects.

Ward says that the work that'll be done to sample those fields is highly variable based on both the type of testing and the agronomist doing it.

"Most people are just looking for that composite sample for the field so they can help determine their right rates and there was a good time for doing that. I think there's a lot of people out there busy doing sampling right now and the benefit of that is having that time to plan before spring rolls around to make some fertilizer purchasing decisions this fall.

With the new farming season set to kick off this spring, Ward reminds producers to make sure they're following best practices.

"There are a lot of good agronomists out there who do have 4R designation. So if that's something you're you're looking for or you know that they do have that experience to help make those management decisions. If you're not working with an agronomist in general, I think that's always a good option to help find some ways of improving the production on your farm."