USDA-NRCS CEMA 216: A Cost-sharing Program for Soil Health Testing

Soil health assessment includes more than traditional soil fertility analysis. Soil health encompasses physical, chemical, and biological soil properties, which all come together to provide a healthy, living soil for optimal plant growth. Traditional soil fertility analysis, supported with university research, is still the approved practice for assessing plant nutrient requirements and determining fertilizer rates. Yet, soil health assessment can complement your knowledge and practices to improve soil management.

In January 2026, the USDA-NRCS released an update to Conservation Evaluation and Monitoring Activity (CEMA) 216 – Soil Health Testing. The CEMA 216 program has special soil health testing requirements that AGVISE Laboratories is able and prepared to provide to our clients. The CEMA 216 program focuses on five core soil health measurements and requires water-stable aggregate (WSA) classes, total organic carbon, permanganate-oxidizable carbon (POXC), 24-h CO2 respiration, autoclave citrate-extractable (ACE) protein, soil pH, and soil texture. We have created a soil test package called Option SH216 to meet these requirements. The soil sample collection also requires special instructions and submission forms, which you can find at Resources >> Forms & Guides. If you have any questions about soil sample collection and submission for CEMA 216, please contact AGVISE before you collect or ship the soil samples.

Contact your local USDA-NRCS office for more details on CEMA 216, program eligibility, and sign-ups. AGVISE Laboratories also meets the CEMA 216 requirement to choose a laboratory approved through the Performance Assessment Program (PAP) of the North American Proficiency Testing (NAPT) Program.