The Importance of Soil Fertility
An understanding of soil fertility is a basic need for farmers. Unless a farm has a fertile soil, a landholder cannot produce crops and pastures efficiently and competitively.
While soil fertility is vital to a productive soil, a fertile soil may not, in itself, be a productive soil. Other factors, such as droughts, weeds, pests, insects or drainage may inhibit the productive use of a fertile soil.
Soil fertility in modern-day agriculture is a part of a dynamic, ever-changing system. As animal and plant products are sold from the farm, they are exporting nutrients from the soil of the property.
Understanding Nutrient Cycling
At the same time soil nutrients are being lost through natural processes such as soil erosion, or as gas to the atmosphere. Other nutrients are becoming bound by the soil particles and become less available for use by plants. As soil organic matter decomposes it, at first, immobilises nutrients, then releases these over a period of time.
The addition of plant nutrients, as fertilisers, is necessary to maintain and enhance the soils productive capacity or fertility as the basis of agriculture.
In order to make informed choices about types of fertilisers best suited to your land you need to have a basic understanding of soil chemistry and measure your soil fertility.
How do I test my soil’s fertility?
The first step is to: TALK TO US.
Your initial consultation is FREE and may be the best Investment you can ever make in the future of your farm.
Topoclimate Australia have over 30 years of experience in all aspects of soil mapping and soil testing and work with a independant Government Certified Laboratory on testing soils on Australian farms.
Samples are collected according to established protocols across farms and sent off to the Laboratory for testing. This usually takes up to 21 days to be completed.
We then analyse the results of the Soil Tests and produce a report in clear understandable language for our farmer clients, including recommendations for fertilisers and soil management.
To contact us please ring the numbers on the “Contact Us” page or use the Contact Form on that page
