Arkansas Soil Testing Lab Sees Record Number Of Samples In ‘23
MARY HIGHTOWER
MARIANNA, ARKANSAS
The Marianna Soil Test Lab set a new record for samples tested by processing more than 220,000 last year.
Cindy Herron, lab manager, said the center processed 220,032 samples, and the previous record was 213,668 samples, set in 2012.
he lab is one of the diagnostic services offered by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture through its Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. Soil testing enables landowners to determine how much lime or fertilizer needs to be applied to optimize soil productivity for crops, pastures, lawns and gardens.
Nathan Slaton, assistant director of the experiment station and director of the soil testing program, attributed the rise in samples to cooperative weather.
“Early harvest and a dry fall allowed for soil samples to be collected,” Slaton said. “Falls with early rain and wet field conditions reduce days available for soil sampling and slow progress or prohibit sampling altogether when it’s really wet.
“The vast majority of samples are received in the fall months from grid soil sampling performed by consultants and farm service providers,” he said. The remaining samples come from homeowners trying to improve their landscapes.
In grid sampling, a farmer will pull samples from specific intervals across a field. Matthew Davis, Jackson County extension staff chair, said samples typically come in 2.5-acre grids.
“More consultants are doing grid sampling,” he said, adding that the reasons include the cost of fertilizer, and the added precision it brings. With the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict, fertilizer prices spiked.
Eight decades of testing
Land-grant soil testing has been going in Arkansas at least since 1945, when Robert Bartholomew took soil samples from 10 farms in every Arkansas county. After analyzing the results, he returned pH and fertilizer recommendations to farmers.
Since testing began at in Marianna in 1954, “we have analyzed more than 5 million samples,” Slaton said.
Though some data is missing in the years 1954 to 1985 — those years saw about 1 million samples processed.
By 2000, the lab had passed the 2-million sample milestone. A decade later, the lab hit 3 million samples. A mere five years later and the lab analyzed its 4 millionth sample.
In 2021, the lab logged its 5 millionth sample.
Free soil sampling
Arkansans can have their soil sampled at no cost through their county extension offices. The lab’s work is funded in part by fertilizer tonnage fees. These funds are administered by the Arkansas Soil Testing Board.
Clark County Extension Staff Chair Amy Simpson said, “I asked one of my farmers that did grid sampling last year and he thought that more people were soil testing to fine-tune budget items and not overspend.”
“High fertilizer prices have had homeowners more cautious in sampling and making sure pH is corrected before applying fertilizer,” said Jenna Martin, Cross County extension staff chair. “It’s too costly to be applying more than what is really needed.” ∆
MARY HIGHTOWER: University of Arkansas