Soil Fertility
What it is: Measures of the main chemicals needed for plant growth [except that K is not on the list below]
Why it is important: Fertility is an important indicator because nutrient levels directly influence crop productivity and water quality, and they are greatly affected by management
Specific problems that might be caused by (too little, too much etc.) are:
Too little: poor crop growth
Too much: eutrophication of lakes, excessive nitrate levels in groundwater
What you can do: You can improve your soil's fertility by following local BMPs for fertilizer applications and maintaining or enhancing levels of organic matter
For more information go to Soil Management Practices.
Ways that soil organic matter can be measured include:
| Method | How Performed | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Soil test phosphorus (STP) | Lab test | |
| Mineral nitrogen | Lab or field nitrate tests | |
| Potentially mineralizable nitrogen (PMN) | Lab incubations | |
| Potassium (K) | Lab test | |
| Sulfur (S) | Lab test | |
| Calcium (Ca) | Lab test | |
| Magnesium (Mg) | Lab test | |
| Boron (B) | Lab test | |
| Zinc (Zn) | Lab test |
The different methods have different levels of accuracy and precision.