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Soil Testing
and Plant Diagnostic Services
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Soil and Plant Testing Laboratory
573-882-0623
Testing at the following times are recommended
Recommendations are given for the following turf - up to four options with associated age may be selected for each sample. That is for one soil sample submitted you may get recommendations for athletic field cool season, athletic warm season, commercial sod cool season and low maintenance turf cool season (for one example). So you may choose any combination of four options of those listed in the table below.
Sampling is done to monitor fertilizer application, or when there is an observed deficiency or growing problem.
Turf
Golf courses
Obtaining a 6- to 7-inch core for soil sampling.
Coring devices are best for soil sampling. Augers are recommended on rocky soils. Hand samplers at least 3 feet long are desirable because they reduce back strain.
A power drill facilitates sampling in rocky or dry soils. Use a plastic container with a hole in the middle to collect the soil as the auger pulls it out of the ground. Empty the soil out of the plastic container into the soil sample bucket after each successful attempt to get a 6-inch core.
A well taken soil sample results in appropriate recommended rates of fertilizer and limestone.
It is best to use a soil coring device and take an equal amount of soil from the surface through the sampling depth (4-6 inches) and an equal amount at each sampling location. Soil probes and augers are available through ag companies or your ag extension specialist may be able to help you locate a supplier. You can use a shovel, however it is not as good as a probe or auger. If you use a shovel dig a hole to the proper depth, shave a 1-inch slice from the side of the hole, save the vertical, 1-inch wide center portion of this slice.
Take 6 to 10 random subsamples. Sample from uniform areas. Avoid known soil differences (soil color, texture, slope). Mix samples to obtain one composite sample in a clean plastic pail (metal pails contaminate the soil with micronutrients) and retail 1 pint (MU soil sample box full).
Samples may be submitted to:
Note
Sample submitted directly to the lab should be accompanied by the sample information form and a check for the amount due payable to MU Soil Testing, unless you have an account with us. If you have an account with us fill in the firm and outlet number and we will bill you at the end of the month.
We encourage you to submit your samples through the county extension offices. Firms or businesses may set up individual accounts with the lab to submit the samples directly.
Each sample submitted to our lab should be accompanied by an information form. These forms should be filled out accurately for proper fertilizer recommendations. Including county names is essential for us to mail the soil test results to the appropriate area agronomist or horticulturalist. This information is important to determine the soil region and to complete the soil test summary report for the state.
Samples from firms should contain the firm and outlet number for proper return of results and billing.
Send the original form with the soil sample(s) and retain a copy for your records.
Send soil samples in proper containers such as the boxes and bags specifically designed for soil samples. (Avoid glass jars, coffee cans, plastic bags, etc.) If samples are very wet, allow them to air dry for a day before mailing. Wet samples should not be sent in sample boxes that are plastic lined as they will not allow soil to dry during transit.
Copy the serial number and field/sample ID from the sample information form to the soil sample container.
Commercial fruits, vegetables and turfs soil sample information
forms and sample boxes can be obtained from the county extension centers or
at the soil testing labs free of charge or printed from the Web.
Commercial
fruits, vegetables and turfs soil sample information form, PDF
Regular fertility tests
For a general analysis of a soil's fertility, a regular soil test package includes:
In certain cases additional tests may be required.
| Analysis | Fee |
Regular soil fertility test
|
$10* |
| Secondary and minor nutrients | |
| Zinc ($4 if run with regular or iron, manganese and copper) | $5 |
| Sulfur | $4 |
| Iron, manganese and copper | $4.50 |
| Sodium ($1.50 if run with regular) | $4 |
| Boron | $5 |
| Other special tests | |
| Nitrate | $4 |
| Ammonium | $4 |
| Nitrate and ammonium (NO3-N and NH4-N -- Inorganic N) | $7 |
| Total exchangeable bases (Ca, Mg, K, Na) | $6 |
| Electrical conductivity | $6 |
| Chloride | $6 |
| Particle size analysis | $12 |
| pHw or pHs ($2.50 if run with regular) | $4 |
| Lime requirement (pH and N.A.) | $5
|
| Total Kjeldhal nitrogen (TKN) | $12 |
| TKN and Inorganic N and organic N | $20 |
| Total phosphorus (TP) | $15 |
| Total potassium (TK) | $15 |
| Sodium absorption ratio (SAR) | $12 |
| Exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) | $12 |
Base saturation (percent) |
$12 |
| Bray-II phosphorus | $4 |
| Mechlich III or Olson P | $4 |
| Organic matter | $5 |
| Cation exchange capacity (addition method) | $12 |
| Setup fee, if less than five samples for special tests | $20 |
* Walk-in rate
The fee for regular fertility tests varies in counties depending on their shipping and handling costs. Contact your county extension centetr to get the exact cost when submitting through their office.
Turnaround timeIf samples are mailed allow time to and from the lab. Results of samples submitted through county extension offices are mailed first to the county agronomist or horticulturalist for comments or individualized recommendations. The county then mails the recommendations to the person submitting the sample.
Soil test reports can be e-mailed on request at no charge or faxed for a nominal fee.
Interpretations and recommendations are based on the crops you select on the Soil Information Forms. As recommendations differ for different crops, it is important you select the cropping options you intend to plant.
The soil test results you receive will contain the following information:
Updated 4/19/06
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