AGRONOMY SERVICES
Albrecht (CEC) Soil Test
William A Albrecht, developed the concept of Total Exchange Capacity of Cations (CEC) held on the clay colloid of any soil. The key minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, and sodium are analyzed as the quantity and the percent proportion of cations held on the clay colloid. This is called Base Saturation. Other nutrients besides the key Cations, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur and other major micro-nutrients to calculate the total soil reserves in comparison to the optimum reserves and ratios for an ideal soil.
The Albrecht -CEC soil test is offered as part of our services, with the soil tests outsourced to an Albrecht - CEC testing lab.
Reams Soil Test
The Reams Soil Test was developed by Dr Carey Reams, a scientist and Agricultural Consultant from the USA,. Reams developed his ratios by observing nature and evaluating the soil in conjunction with such observations.
The major difference between a standard acid-extraction soil test (Albrecht-CEC) and the Reams Test is that the Reams test recommended soil levels/ratios are based on the biologically soluble, major nutrients available to the crop being grown, not the total nutrient reserves and the capacity to exchange those nutrients.
Additionally, the Reams soil test results closely resemble the plants’ capacity, using its natural organic acids, to extract nutrients and minerals from the soil.
The key to Reams’ program was energy. Dr. Reams discovered that you cannot calculate energy based on total nutrients on the soil colloid - instead energy must be calculated on plant available nutrients or fully soluble minerals.
There are, however, several problems with the Albrecht CEC approach;
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There is no concept of using soil conductivity to measure soil energy.
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Recommendations are based on the mineral holding capacity--and are not what is actually plant available at any point in time.
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There is no concept of certain crops requiring growth energy dominance vs. reproductive energy dominance and the use of specific fertilizers to bring this about.
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The Albrecht approach does not achieve the higher levels of plant brix and nutrient density for top quality food.
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It can be very expensive and requires an extreme amount of nutrients to balance the soil.
For example, a standard soil test may show, say a total of 2,500 kg/ha reserves of Calcium while the Reams result may test below 500 kg/ha. There will be a growth energy reserve deficit to grow the crop to full maturity potential, weakened skin and cell strength, bruising susceptibility of fruit and soil compaction, if there is a narrow calcium/magnesium ratio (<7:1); there will be grass and weed problems. Furthermore, with a narrow calcium/magnesium ratio nitrogen efficiency is reduced requiring additional nitrogen to achieve the same result.
Both soil tests are important, as it provides a good snapshot on the overall storage reserves of the major nutrients in the soil and the performance of soil biology and energy available to effectively solubise those nutrients for plant use on demand.
To maximise the yield and quality potential of the crop, it is critical to know the actual plant available nutrients and any deficiencies and/or imbalances that will limit economic returns. For the astute producer, our testing service is an essential management companion.
SOME FACTS ABOUT SOIL APPLIED FERTILISERS
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Only plant food that is soluble in water is available to the plant
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Nitrates and under certain conditions, potassium are the only elements taken up by the plant with water.
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All elements, except nitrogen go into the plant in the phosphate form. Soil microbiology is the engine room that makes nutrients available in the phosphate form.
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Heavy use of chemical fertilisers kills microbes, making it far less productive in delivering many of the nutrients required by the plant for growth and reproduction.
864 Connect Agricultural Services has the lab testing facilities to conduct the Reams Test. Our testing service can analyze up to 14 nutrients available in the soluble form for plants assimilation. We provide rapid turn-around on results and recommendations (usually 24 hours) for the producer to act immediately to ensure maximum yield potential, crop quality and profits.
Crop Monitoring
The following tests are offered as part of our comprehensive ”in-field” crop monitoring services for crop nutrition management, insect and disease status monitoring, weeds management. The test results facilitate rapid decision making that can both reduce the costs of production as well as delivering higher yields with exceptional quality.
Plant Brix Measurement and Monitoring
This is a simple and quick test to ensure effective translocation and storage of energy within the plant during photosynthesis as minerals and carbohydrates. Generally, with Brix readings above 12 there will be minimal, if any, insect and disease infestations, higher frost damage resilience and adequate energy for the plant at the critical demand times during the fruit /grain fill maturity stage. There are minimum brix readings for various crops at which there will be no insect, disease or malady infestations. Click here to view the brix chart for a number of crops.
Plant and Soil Conductivity Measurement and Monitoring
Another simple and quick on-the-spot test that measures the energy status of the crop, in alignment with the Reams soil test. The ERGS (energy release per gram of soil) measures the quantity and mobility of cations and anions in the soil solution. Having insufficient energy for the electrical and chemical reactions necessary for optimum growth and finishing the crop to its yield potential can have serious consequences for the overall crop income.
Plant Nutrient Testing and Monitoring
On-the-spot in-field sap testing for the major nutrients, such as nitrates, calcium, sodium, potassium can be provided without the need to send plant samples to a lab for testing.
Plant Tissue testing is also offered for nitrate nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium through our testing lab.
Additional in-field tests include plant moisture stress testing for irrigation scheduling management, leaf chlorophyll measurements soil temperature, moisture infiltration/retention and compaction, and soil pH are also offered as part of the monitoring service.
Weeds, Pest and Disease Inspections and Scouting Service
We offer IPM services for insect and disease infestations and life cycle monitoring for crop spraying timing. The types of weeds and insect species infesting the crop can also provide invaluable insights to the mineral deficiencies and imbalances in the soil and plant to provide management solutions to address the causes behind specific weeds and insects. Every weed, insect and disease problem can be linked to a mineral/s deficiency, imbalance and/or poor management practises with the soils. Much scientific research has been done and published to identify the particular mineral deficiencies and imbalances associated with many pests, diseases and weeds.
Soil Microbial Biomass Testing
It might be all well and good to have a focus on the mineral content and balance in the soil, which is typical with the conventional agriculture approach. The Reams test highlights the shortcomings between the plant available soluble minerals and the nutrient storage reserves in the soil. To achieve the ideal Reams levels, the soil MUST have abundant, active microbial populations to solubise the minerals into plant available forms.
The ideal fungal to bacterial ratio differs depending on the crop being grown, for example grasses and pastures, cereal crops and tree crops all function best on specific fungal to bacterial ratios. Our biological agriculture nutrition program is designed to cultivate these desired microbial ratios. Fertilisers and soil amendments are essential inputs to optimise these ratios, at the beginning. For example, a bacterial dominant soil in tree crop that requires a fungal dominant soil will stress the plant, create nutrient imbalances that result in lower yields, soil borne diseases and insect infestations with the trees.
The soil microbial biomass tests how alive is the soil and whether the program is increasing microbial levels and diversity, gaining or losing organic carbon etc. In the past, soil microbe testing has been cumbersome, time consuming and the results can be unreliable, depending on the length of time between when the soil sample was taken and finally tested in the laboratory.
864 Connect Agricultural Services offers a practical solution that can be done in the field, with the total biomass test results revealed within minutes.
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