The Cornell Soil Health Testing Lab is open for business for 2014. The lab’s Soil Health Assessment Package includes two new tests this year: Soil respiration and soil protein.
The package is tecommended for conventional grain and forage crops, vegetable production, organic crop production, home gardens, and urban gardens. Non-agricultural applications include problem diagnosis in landscaped areas, site remediation, and other urban applications.
The full slate of tests costs $85 and includes:
- Particle size distribution and texture
- Wet aggregate stability
- Available water capacity
- Surface hardness
- Subsurface hardness
- Organic matter
- Active carbon
- Soil respiration
- Soil protein
- Root pathogen pressure
- Standard fertility test (pH, Buffer pH (lime requirement), organic matter and Modified Morgan extractable phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, aluminum, iron, zinc, and manganese.)
Additional tests offered include potentially mineralizable nitrogen, soluble salts, heavy metals, and boron. Tests can also be ordered ‘à la carte’.
For more information, visit the Cornell Soil Health website.