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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
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 […]
Soil Testing Right Behind the Combine
in Soil Sampling/by John BrekerThis submission is courtesy of Dr. David Franzen, Extension Soil Specialist, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND. It was originally published in the AGVISE Newsletter Fall 2019. It is more the rule than the exception that soil sampling begins in mid-September, rather than starting immediately following small grain harvest. However, many producers miss an excellent […]
Adjusting high soil pH with elemental sulfur
in Soil Amendment, Soil Chemical Analysis, Soil pH/by John LeeSoil pH is a soil chemical property that measures soil acidity or alkalinity, and it affects many soil chemical and biological activities. Soils with high pH can reduce the availability of certain nutrients, such as phosphorus and zinc. Soils of the northern Great Plains and Canadian Prairies often have high soil pH (>7.3) and contain […]
Soil Salinity Analysis: Which method to choose?
in Research, Saline and Sodic Soil, Soil Chemical Analysis/by John BrekerThis submission is courtesy of Dr. Heather Matthees, Research Soil Scientist, USDA-ARS, Morris, MN. It was originally published in the AGVISE Newsletter Fall 2017. Salt-affected soils are a major problem for agricultural producers, resulting in $12 billion annual losses in crop production across the world. In the northern Great Plains and Canadian Prairies, soil salinity […]
Estimating soil texture with cation exchange capacity (CEC)
in Soil Chemical Analysis, Soil Physical Analysis/by John BrekerSoil texture is a basic physical soil property that describes the proportion of sand-, silt-, and clay-sized particles in soil. It controls the ability of soil to retain water and nutrients and the movement of water and nutrients through the soil profile. Soil texture is a fundamental soil property, but measuring soil texture requires time-consuming […]
Fertilizing grass lawn
in Lawn and Garden, Nitrogen/by John LeeA productive and lush lawn requires some fertilizer every now and then. The major plant nutrients required for grass lawn are nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Nitrogen is the nutrient required in the largest amount, although too much nitrogen can create other problems. A general rate of one (1) pound nitrogen per 1,000 […]
Split the Risk with In-season Nitrogen
in Canola, Corn, In-Season Fertilizer, Nitrogen, Sunflower, Water Quality, Wheat/by John BrekerFor some farmers, applying fertilizer in the fall is a standard practice. You can often take advantage of lower fertilizer prices, reduce the spring workload, and guarantee that fertilizer is applied before planting. As you work on developing your crop nutrition plan, you may want to consider saving a portion of the nitrogen budget for […]