Soil & Tissue Testing
Megafert are strong believers in the value of Soil Testing to ensure the correct fertiliser application is being made.
With high fertiliser prices, investing in soil and tissue analysis makes good financial sense. With increases in the cost of MAP and DAP and the recent drop in the Australian dollar, putting in a crop can be a significant investment. Using the right fertiliser can significantly improve yields, which will go a long way towards optimising the return on that investment.
Both soil and plant leaf (tissue) testing can be used to guide fertiliser purchases. Soil tests try to predict what nutrients the crop will have access to, whereas plant tissue tests provide a more direct measure of nutrients that are available to, or deficient in, the crop.
The critical deficiency level in the leaf tissue depends on the type of crop or pasture, the age of the crop (e.g. tillering, node stages, etc.) and the plant part that is collected (e.g. whole shoots, youngest emerged leaf or grain/seeds). When the sample is collected it is important to ensure the deficiency levels are known for the right crop age and plant part being collected. There are a number of books that list the deficiency levels, or a local agronomist should be able to provide this information. While most books show a precise deficiency level, in actual fact it is better to think of it as a deficiency range; if the nutrient concentration in the crop is close to the deficiency level, the crop might be suffering some deficiency in that element.
Depending on the age of the crop or pasture, it might be possible to immediately correct nitrogen and trace element deficiencies. In most cases, particularly for cropping, low phosphorus levels will indicate the need for greater P inputs in the following season.
Both soil and tissue testing can help guide the right fertiliser decisions. After all, why spend good money on the wrong fertiliser? Tissue tests are a small investment that could potentially save significant dollars when purchasing fertiliser and help to optimise yields and farm revenue.
If you don’t currently have a Soil Testing program in place, please contact your local Megafert Area Sales Manager to find out how we can help you set up a personalised program.