Subscribe
"(Required)" indicates required fields
Northwood Laboratory
804 Hwy 15 West
P.O. Box 510
Northwood, ND 58267
Phone: 701-587-6010
Fax: 701-587-6013
Benson Laboratory
902 13th Street North
P.O. Box 187
Benson, MN 56215
Phone: 320-843-4109
Fax: 320-843-2074
Canada Receiving Facility
380 Kimberly Road
Winkler, MB R6W 0H7
Phone: 701-587-6010
2021 Plant Nutrient Deficiency Troubleshooting Project
in AGVISE Laboratories, Troubleshooting/by Jodi BoePlant analysis is a valuable tool for managing plant nutrients and troubleshooting agronomic problems. Being certain that a specific plant nutrient is causing deficiency symptoms is difficult with visual symptoms alone. Many causal agents unrelated to soil fertility can cause symptoms that appear to be nutrient-related. There are also some plant nutrient deficiencies that are impossible […]
New Address for AGVISE Laboratories Canada Receiving Facility
in AGVISE Laboratories/by Jodi BoeThe AGVISE Laboratories Canadian Receiving Facility has moved across the street from its former location in Winkler, Manitoba. What this means for customers sending samples to our Canadian Receiving Facility: The new address is 380 Kimberly Rd Winkler, MB R6W 0H7 If you’ve dropped off samples at the receiving shed in Winkler, the shed is […]
Protect Nitrogen Fertilizer from Ammonia Volatilization
in Drought, Fertilizer Placement, In-Season Fertilizer, Nitrogen/by Jodi BoeRecent rain and snow have brought much-needed precipitation to the northern Great Plains and upper Midwest regions. Some degree of drought conditions stretch from Alberta to Iowa, and agronomists and farmers are wondering the best ways to protect spring-applied nitrogen as the planting season continues. How much nitrogen might I lose if I cannot incorporate […]
Livestock Manure Sampling and Analysis
in Manure/by John LeeAs you develop crop nutrition plans for the upcoming year, it is important to include spring manure application in the crop nutrition budget. Manure is an excellent source of plant-available nutrients and offers nice economic savings, especially with high fertilizer prices. When manure is applied properly, you can maximize the nutrient value, reduce nutrient losses, […]
Starter Fertilizer: Choosing the Right Rate
in Corn, Crop Removal, Starter Fertilizer, Wheat/by John LeeStarter fertilizer placed with or near the seed is essential for vigorous early season growth in grass crops such as corn and wheat. We plant these crops early because we know vigorous early season growth is important to achieving high crop yields. Early planting also means cold soils, and starter fertilizer is necessary to get […]
Preparing for Spring Soil Sampling
in Equipment/by John LeeEven when fall soil sampling weather cooperates, there is always some soil sampling to do each spring. No matter the spring conditions, the soil sampling window is tight if you are planning to collect soil samples and get the soil test results back in time for spring fertilizer decisions. You will want to pull soil […]
Adjusting high soil pH and salinity with sugar beet-processing spent lime
in Saline and Sodic Soil, Soil Amendment, Soil pH/by John LeeThe sugar beet processing industry uses large quantities of fine-ground, high-grade calcium carbonate (lime) to purify sucrose in the sugar extraction process. The by-product spent lime retains high reactivity and purity, making it an attractive liming material for acidic soils. Application of spent lime is a common practice through the sugar beet producing areas of […]
Soil Testing and 4R Nutrient Stewardship
in AGVISE Laboratories, Environment, Precision Ag/by John BrekerEach year, farmers aim to increase agricultural production and profitability while conserving our land resources for the next generation. These tandem goals drive sustainable soil fertility and crop nutrition decisions on cropland across the world. In 2005, global fertilizer industry and environmental stakeholders began developing a standard theme to emphasize science-based stewardship in soil fertility […]
Active carbon (POXC): What does it measure?
in Soil Chemical Analysis, Soil Health/by John BrekerCarbon is the currency of nature: the backbone of soil organic matter and the energy source for soil microorganisms. Therefore, much interest in soil health focuses on increasing carbon storage in soil. When you reduce tillage or increase crop rotation diversity, you expect soil organic matter to increase. However, soil organic matter often changes slowly […]
Uffda, that’s a lot of potash!
in Base Cation Saturation Ratio, Potassium/by John LeeQuestion: Can you really change the %K base cation saturation ratio? This winter, we have gotten more questions from farmers asking about the base cation saturation ratio (BSCR) concept. The farmers had attended a series of meetings where the speakers encouraged farmers increase the %K saturation in their soils and apply high potassium fertilizer rates […]
Soil aggregate stability: What does it measure?
in Soil Health, Soil Physical Analysis/by John BrekerSoil aggregates are the building blocks of soil structure. Soil texture is the relative percentage of sand, silt, and clay in soil, but soil structure describes how those particles are arranged in the soil profile. Soil aggregates are glued together with soil organic matter, plant root exudates, and microorganisms like fungi. We classify soil aggregates […]
Starter Fertilizer Display: How low can YOU go?
in Canola, Corn, Phosphorus, Soybean, Starter Fertilizer, Sugar Beet, Wheat/by John LeeWhen profits are squeezed, more farmers are asking about optimal starter fertilizer rates and how low starter fertilizer rates can be. These questions are the result of wanting to keep fertilizer costs down, to plant as many acres per day as possible, and to take advantage of more efficient, lower rates of banded phosphorus fertilizer […]
Adjusting low soil pH with sugar beet-processing spent lime
in Soil Amendment, Soil pH/by John LeeThe sugar beet processing industry uses large quantities of fine-ground, high-grade calcium carbonate (lime) to purify sucrose in the sugar extraction process. The by-product spent lime retains high reactivity and purity, making an attractive liming material for acidic soils. Application of spent lime is a common practice through the sugar beet producing areas of the […]
High soil pH and calcium carbonate inflate base cation saturation and cation exchange capacity (CEC)
in Base Cation Saturation Ratio, Soil Chemical Analysis, Soil pH/by John BrekerSoil pH is a soil chemical property that measures soil acidity or alkalinity, and it affects many soil chemical and biological activities. Soils of the northern Great Plains and Canadian Prairies often have high soil pH (>7.3) and contain calcium carbonate (free lime) at or near the soil surface. It is the calcium carbonate in […]
The Meaning of Soil Health Testing and the Big Picture
in Soil Analysis, Soil Health, Soil Management/by John BrekerThis submission is courtesy of Dr. Caley Gasch, Assistant Professor of Soil Health, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND. It was originally published in the AGVISE Newsletter Winter 2017. Multiple definitions of “soil health” exist. In general, they all recognize that soil is a complex system, with interacting physical, chemical, and biological factors, which should […]