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Buffalo, NY

Has anybody else used Penn State for soil testing? How do you compare their results to many other results posted here that are in ppm?

They have a section "SOIL NUTRIENT LEVELS" with #'s in pounds per acre and a bar graph, followed by recommendations, and at the bottom of the sheet they have "LABORATORY RESULTS." Some units are meq/100g, some are %, and P is lb/A.

Is there a conversion between lbs/A, meq & ppm somewhere? I'll try to post #'s after I find out what they all mean, so please help on this. Thanks in advance.

Mark

4/28/2005 1:45:53 PM

Bristol, ME (stunner906@roadrunner.com)

Divide lb/A by 2 to get ppm

4/28/2005 2:12:01 PM

Western NY

except for phosphorus (4.6), and Potassium (2.4).

that's based on a 6-8 inch plow depth.

i'm not too keen on penn state tests (or cornell for that matter)

umass is the only college extension i would use, but i like the A+L's best. there are other good ones, too but those aree the big ones.

4/28/2005 2:40:26 PM

Buffalo, NY

Thanks. Then maybe some of my #'s are off the charts.

When you say phosphorous & potassium, are you talking just P & K or P2O5 & K2O or don't it matter? Under the Soil Nutrient Levels, it lists P2O5 & K2O but in the Lab Results it lists P lb/A using the Mehlich 3 method.

Thanks.
Mark

4/28/2005 2:48:22 PM

Buffalo, NY

Here are the complete results, comments appreciated.

pH: 7.1

BELOW ARE lbs/A.

P2O5: 1855
K2O : 1320
Mg : 3682
Ca : 18689

LAB RESULTS:

pH: 7.1 using 1:1 soil:water pH
P lbs/A: 810 (using Mehlich 3)

Exchange Cations (meq/100g):

Acidity 0.0
K 1.4
Mg 9.2
Ca 33.6
CEC 25.7

% Saturation of the CEC:

K 5.5
Mg 36.0
Ca 58.5

Organic Matter: 36%

Any help appreciated.

Mark

P.S. Andy, I'm right in the city, that means NO plow depth... but I did take samples at over 6" deep.

4/28/2005 5:22:30 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Andy's got it. Divide by 2 for 9" (plough depth).

Divide by 2.7 for true acre feet (12").

4/28/2005 10:44:37 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Ironically Penn State developed the finest testing methods in use today. But due to budget constraints, they don't use their own superior processes.

As for how they report, I prefer Pounds Per Acre to PPM as I can expalin the results & make recommendations to clients easier this way. As for the accuracy, there is no difference whatsoever.

4/28/2005 10:46:48 PM

Buffalo, NY

So then what would you recommend?

Thanks.
Mark

4/28/2005 11:19:09 PM

Buffalo, NY

Can someone make comments on my results plus any recommendations?

Thanks in advance.
Mark

4/30/2005 3:28:31 PM