Soil Testing

What Is Agricultural Soil Testing?

Soil provides plants with essential minerals and nutrients and their presence at optimal levels is a critical part of successful modern agriculture. Knowing the quality of your soil, and understanding how to improve it, is the most important thing you can do to guarantee good growing conditions for crops. Agricultural Soil testing is an essential part of uncovering how to get the balance of soil nutrients right.

There have been worrying reports in recent years about the continued deterioration in Irish soil pH levels. Maintaining a pH of between 6.3 and 6.6 regulates nutrient availability and supports biological processes in the soil. Maintaining good soil pH can directly improve and enhance soil fertility and will have a positive impact on any subsequent crops planted.

Soil fertility is at the cornerstone of our grass-based animal production systems in Ireland and is critical for enhancing yields and quality for future generations.

Carrying out regular soil testing & soil sampling is recommended and should be carried out every 2 to 3 years, and at the same time each year where possible, to provide essential information on soil health and baseline nutrient status.

Soil testing forms the basis for the efficient, cost effective use of lime, fertilisers and trace elements.

Soil testing is now a key component in Nutrient Management Planning and plays an important role in ensuring that the loss of nutrients from agriculture to surface water is minimised.

Soil sample testing options

IAS Laboratories offer various soil analysis suites. Special requirements or tests are available upon request by calling IAS Laboratories on 059 972 1022 or by emailing [email protected]

At IAS Laboratories our soil testing service delivers fast and efficient turnaround times, excellent customer service, consultation on your results and competitive pricing. We are Department of Agriculture approved and INAB accredited for

• Morgans P
• Morgans K
• pH
• SMP pH
• Organic matter

For full guidelines on how to take soil samples visit our page on Guidelines for taking a Soil Sample or simply call us on 059 972 1022.

By request, a member of our qualified network of soil samplers will complete the entire process from sampling right through to results.