Soil analysis: methods for studying properties and composition, how the process goes

Comprehensive soil analysis helps to determine the main characteristics of the soil, its composition, and the content of nutrients in it. The information obtained as a result of soil analysis makes it possible to calculate the amount of fertilizer required for application, and determine what agrotechnical means are needed to improve it. Consider what soil analysis is, what methods are included in it, and the research process.

What does soil analysis mean?

These are several studies that are performed to determine the mechanical composition, physical and chemical properties, biological and agrochemical characteristics of it.To fully study the state of the soil, it is necessary to connect all methods, because all soil features affect the development and fruiting of crops.

Soil analysis includes studies of acidity, electrical conductivity, particle size distribution, cation exchange capacity, organic matter volume, nutrient content, major and minor.

What do you need

The study of the properties and composition of the soil allows you to form an opinion about the expected fertility of the land, what agrotechnical measures need to be applied to improve the soil, how much and what kind of fertilizers to apply in order to achieve the planned yield.

Studying the composition and characteristics of the soil is necessary to reduce the cost of purchasing fertilizers, which means in the long term a reduction in the cost of production. This is essential for any agricultural enterprise, farm or private household.

Analysis techniques

Several tests are carried out for each sample to get a complete picture of the state of the soil. A complete study includes mechanical, chemical, mineralogical, agrochemical and toxicological analyses. Each of them has its own characteristics, but they are all equally important.

Mechanical

Granulometric study of the soil is carried out in order to determine the number of particles of various sizes in it. This is determined using sieves and a study of the settling rate of particles in stagnant water. Depending on how much clay is in the sample, that is, particles whose diameter is less than 0.01 mm, or sand whose particles are greater than 0.01 mm, the type is determined by the mechanical composition. Soils can be sandy, sandy or loamy to varying degrees and clayey.

Chemical

Chemical analysis is carried out to establish chemical indicators. It consists of several studies: elemental analysis determines the percentage and total content of chemical elements in the earth.

A study of water extract, which is mandatory for solonchaks and saline soils, is necessary to establish the presence of water-soluble components in the ground. Chemical analysis also includes the determination of the absorptive capacity of the soil, how saturated it is with mobile, that is, easily soluble, compounds of nutrients. Based on these results, you can determine how much and what kind of fertilizer should be applied.

Chemical analysis also establishes the distribution of organics by fractions, the forms in which nutrient compounds and mineral elements are located.

Mineralogical

This type of study determines how much primary and secondary minerals are in the local soil. Separately, the different fractions that make up the soil are examined - silty, colloidal and clayey. As a result, information is obtained about the origin of the soil and how weathering processes occur.

Agrochemical

Similar to chemical analysis, during which they find out the concentration of substances that directly affect cultivated plants and later on the animals that will eat these plants.

Toxicology

This laboratory analysis is carried out to determine the concentration of potentially toxic substances in the soil: heavy metals, pesticide residues, petroleum products and others.

Toxicological analysis is needed to determine the chemical "purity" of the soil. Harmful impurities do not allow growing an environmentally friendly crop, toxic substances destroy beneficial microflora, thereby reducing soil fertility. Knowing what harmful compounds are in the soil, you can take measures to improve it.

How the research process works

Research is carried out in the field or in the laboratory. For each of the methods there is an order of execution. But any of them must be carried out carefully to avoid errors or inaccuracies in research.

First, the soil is taken for analysis, for example, there is a well-known method called the “envelope method”. The method involves taking samples from one area from its four corners and taking a sample from the central part. From these different points, you need to take the soil with a scoop or a spatula. The need to take samples from different points is dictated by the fact that even in a relatively small area, the soil can be heterogeneous.

The collected material should be neatly folded into polyethylene bags or paper. Do not touch the soil with your hands and do not smoke during the collection of material - contact with foreign substances on the sample may give incorrect information and distort the result.

It is desirable that the laboratory chosen for the study has equipment and reagents that will allow the necessary research to be carried out. For example, to analyze the soil of a summer cottage or garden plot, a chemical, radiological and microbiological study is required.For farmers and owners of agricultural enterprises, in addition to these tests, toxicological and agrochemical analyzes are also needed.

Soil analysis must be done with high quality and accuracy, as mistakes can lead not to cost savings, but to unnecessary costs. The result can be obtained 1-3 weeks after sending samples to the laboratory.

Versatile soil analysis is necessary for a farmer, farmer or private trader. The study helps to understand what needs to be corrected if the characteristics are not normal, and how to do it. Based on the results of a comprehensive analysis, you can find out the composition of the soil and adjust, if necessary. You can detect acidity and align its parameters, if necessary. Find out if there are enough nutrients in the soil, in what ratio they are, what fertilizers to apply and in what quantity. Knowledge of the state of the soil on the site allows you to work more rationally on it, competently organize the cultivation of plants and care for them.

Soil analysis is the first step in agribusiness. In some way, it is mandatory, as it allows you to establish the causes of poor soil yields, calculate the cost of plant nutrition, and determine how suitable the site is for cultivating certain types of agricultural plants.

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