Soil testing is an important management tool to identify the nutrient status of the soil and determine the correct fertiliser requirements for optimum crop production and environmental sustainability.
FBA Laboratories provides a comprehensive range of soil analyses to help farmers, agronomists and advisors monitor nutrient levels, optimise fertiliser use and improve long‑term soil management.
Basic soil test with guidance on crop utilisation based on results. Is a set of various chemical processes that determine the amount of available plant nutrients in the soil.
Full soil testing for pH, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, copper, manganese, zinc, boron. Test report includes results analysis and usage guidance for standard crops. Organic matter can be added to the test upon request.
Tests for the presence of harmful metals in soils and can help inform safer growing practices that limit contact with soils with high levels of metals.
Helps to evaluate soil fertility and overall soil health.
Total Carbon, Total Organic Carbon, Total Nitrogen, and Carbon : Nitrogen Ratio.
Soil texture (such as loam, sandy loam or clay) refers to the proportion of sand, silt and clay sized particles that make up the mineral fraction of the soil.
For example, light soil refers to a soil high in sand relative to clay, while heavy soils are made up largely of clay.
Texture is important because it influences the amount of water the soil can hold, the rate of water movement through the soil, and how workable and fertile the soil is.
Select the paddocks or fields you want to check before beginning the soil sampling process.
See the section on Sampling to ensure you follow the correct soil sampling procedure.
Collect the samples and send them on to FBA Laboratories for professional soil analysis.
Using a soil core, take 20-30 samples walking a field in a shape of "W" excluding any non-soil material.
Very large paddocks (> 20 ha) should be subdivided. It is recommended to take a soil samples for every 2.5 ha (6 acres).
Take a minimum of 20 soil cores per paddock, mix them together, and take a representative sample for testing.
Samples should be placed in an airtight container and clearly marked with a field reference. Samples must be logged using the Customer / Farmer portal, using relevant LIPS and / or geotags.
When the sampling is completed for the farm, all samples should be placed in a suitable container and delivered to FBA.
Once the soils are tested, a certificate with the results is sent to you by email if provided, or by regular mail where appropriate.
