To analyze the composition of a soil, it is important to provide samples that are representative of the entire area of interest. The collection of samples must cover the depth of soil where work may have taken place. This can be done at predetermined intervals over time with interruption (intermittent sampling) or during a single harvest from several sampling points (composite sampling).
Analysis of soil samples should be done promptly. In addition, samples should not be frozen, as large temperature variations can damage their integrity and cause structural disruption.
Minerals, nutrients and organic matter
In agricultural environments, the quality of the land is paramount. For a successful operation, farmers must have a good knowledge of the composition of the soils in which their fruits, vegetables and grains are grown.
For crop production, agricultural producers use fertilizers, mineral fertilizers, farm compost and animal dung. The use of these products improves the yield of their crops. However, a mineral imbalance could have significant consequences on the quality of the harvested food.
From this perspective, sampling provides an accurate picture of the quantities of minerals and nutrients present and the fertilizer rates to be applied. This step allows farmers to develop a nutrient management plan that is consistent with what the land actually needs. In addition to ensuring that optimal soil is maintained, sampling also eliminates or reduces product waste and overuse.
Impact of soil quality on livestock
It is particularly important for livestock farms to know the initial nutrient content of the soil in order to develop a nutrient management plan. There is a direct and significant correlation between soil quality and animal health.
Food must be able to meet all the nutritional needs of animals without inducing pathologies or deficiencies.
Acidity level (pH)
Maintaining a good acidity level is a must in crop production. PH plays a key role in the soil’s ability to release and absorb nutrients. Significant fluctuations in soil acidity could affect or even damage the production of fruits, vegetables and grains. The application of nitrogen, for example, can lead to surface acidification of the soil, which may need to be monitored.
By sampling their land, agricultural producers can analyze their soils, correct the pH if necessary and take the appropriate action to obtain higher yields.
Contamination
Environmental protection is everyone’s business. In the agricultural environment, soil pollution can have serious consequences and represent a danger for human health.
In 2017, the Quebec Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques implemented the Soil Protection and Contaminated Land Rehabilitation Policy to prevent soil and groundwater contamination and promote the development of green technologies.
Soil sampling allows us not only to study the characteristics of a site but also to establish a plan for its restoration. By quantifying the concentrations of pollutants in the soil, agricultural producers can assess the safety of their land and thereby eliminate risks to human and environmental health.
Global soil health, an innovative approach
The importance of microbial life for soil and plant health is well known. Bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms are recognized as major actors in the degradation of organic matter, in the proper functioning of biogeochemical cycles and even in the direct nutrition and protection of plants.
Microbiological analyses provide a revealing picture of the overall health of the soil. This innovative and topical orientation considers sustainable soil productivity and the protection of environmental resources, aspects often neglected by conventional analyses.
The evaluation of microbiological life in soils requires the use of sterile sampling tools and aims to determine the qualitative and quantitative microorganism composition of a soil sample, i.e., microbial biomass, microbial activity and community diversity and structure (ratio of fungi to bacteria, for example).
The results then allow farmers to identify malfunctions at ground level, optimization axes, to evaluate the potential of certain major soil functions as well as to make operational decisions such as the choice of inputs of organic matter, or even application of a biostimulation product.
