History and Global Perspective of Soil Sampling and Analysis · 2019-03-29 · History and Global Perspective of Soil Sampling and Analysis Paul E. Fixen S8/S4 Symposium – Soil

History and Global Perspective of Soil Sampling and Analysis

Paul E. Fixen

S8/S4 Symposium – Soil Testing in the 21st CenturyNovember 3, 2009

• Role of soil testing

• History of soil sampling and testing in the U.S.

• International soil testing and issues

• Soil testing problems “up on the shelf”

Our Plan

Underlying factors for the challenges of the coming decades

Human nutrition

LandCarbon

Soil fertility and testing plays a

critical role

Soil OM

• Land use

• Soil quality

• Water use & quality

• Waste disposal

• Etc.

• Climate change

• Cheap energy

• Bioenergy

• Etc.

• Food quantity

• Food quality

• Food cost

Carbon and land concept by Henry Janzen, 2009

Productivity

Profitability

Durability

Healthy environment

CROPPING SYSTEM OBJECTIVES

Net profit

Resource use efficiencies:

Energy, Labor, Nutrient, Water

Return on investment Yield

stability

Water & air quality

Farm income

Working conditions

Nutrient balance

Nutrient loss

Yield

Quality

Soil erosion

Biodiversity

Ecosystems services

Adoption

Soil productivity

4R Nutrient Stewardship

Right Source at Right Rate, Right Time, Right Place

Performance indicators Soil testing

plays a role

Fertilizer consumption in the U.S., 1950-2009

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Fert

ilize

r con

sum

ptio

n, m

illio

n to

ns

N

P2O5

K2O

**

*

*Preliminary estimates for 2008 & 2009 provided by Vroomen (TFI), 10/09/2009.

Soil sampling in the U.S., 1955-2005

y = 0.0546x - 105.1r² = 0.80

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Qua

ntity

of s

ampl

es, m

illio

ns 1972-2005

+55,000/yr1.3%/yr based

on 2005 volume

Data sources: 1955-1985, Peck (1990); 2005, IPNI (2005, assuming 75% in summary).

Soil sampling in the U.S., 1955-2005

y = 0.0546x - 105.1r² = 0.80

y = -0.0249x + 50.8r² = 0.47

y = 0.0790x - 154.9r² = 0.94

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Qua

ntity

of s

ampl

es, m

illio

ns

TotalPublicPrivate

1972-2005

2.2%/yr based on 2005 volume

Soil sampling and consumption of P plus K in the U.S., 1955-2005

y = 0.0546x - 105.1r² = 0.80

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Qua

ntity

of s

ampl

es, m

illio

ns

1972-2005

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Fert

ilize

r con

sum

ptio

n, m

illio

n to

ns

P2O5+K2O

The launch of U.S. soil testing occurred during the early phase of P and K use expansion

• Exuberant expectations of the Green Revolution

• Oil company expansion into agriculture

• Agronomists from fertilizer companies, testing labs, Extension … all promoting soil testing through educational programs Peck, 1990

• Fertilizer profit margins narrowed

• Educations programs and agronomy positions were reduced

• As rates increased, soil P and K levels climbed Peck, 1990

Precision ag services offered by fertilizer retailers … a driver for increased sampling

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010

% o

f res

pond

ents

GPS Soil SamplingYd Monitor Data AnalysisSatellite ImageryVar Rate - Single nutrientVar Rate - Multiple Nutrient

Precision Ag Survey (Crop Life and Purdue U.), 2009

Growth rate of grid or zone soil samples compared to total samples

AGVISE Labs, Benson, Mn

• 2008 percent increase from 2000– 46% increase in total soil samples

– 62% increase in grid/zone soil samples

•Grid/zone samples increasing faster than the total

*Total soil samples = Conventional composite samples + grid/zone samples

0306090

120150180210240270300

Tota

l are

a in

cro

ps p

er s

ampl

e, h

a 2000s

31

105

2668

32

262249

Soil sampling and sampling intensity in selected countries

Years reportedArgentina Australia Brazil China India Russia U.S.

1986 1989 1985 1980-1983 NA 1981-1985 19852008 2009 2008 2005-2009 2008 2001-2005 2005

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Sam

ples

per

yea

r, m

illio

ns 1980s2000s

0200400600800

10001200140016001800

Tota

l are

a in

cro

ps p

er s

ampl

e, h

a1980s

7232

428

4369NA

Ag holdings/sampleU.S. 0.5India 22

Estimates based on best available data

1620

* *

*Average number of samples per year.

International soil testing issues and perspectives• Argentina (Dr. Fernando Garcia)

– Recent increases in soil sampling volume

– Several new large labs, additional ones needed

– Cost is 2-3 times higher than in U.S.

– National Soil Testing Proficiency program initiated in October

• Australia (Dr. Rob Norton)– Pasture sampling is significant

– Drought over most of a decade has reduced amount of soil testing

– Two main labs do most of the soil testing

– Considering conducting a soil test summary similar to the U.S.

• Brazil (Dr. Luis Prochnow)– Ion exchange resins used routinely in some regions

– Five regional laboratory quality control programs in place

– Sampling and interpretation in no-till is a concern

International soil testing issues and perspectives

• China (Dr. Jiyun Jin)– Nearly all soil testing is through government-supported programs

consisting of general periodic surveys over 4 to 5-year periods

– Third government survey is underway (2005-2009)

– Strong government support for expanding soil testing activity

• India (Dr. Kaushik Majumdar)– Inadequate soil testing infrastructure (existing labs at full capacity would

take 17 years to analyze samples from the 119 million ag holdings)

– Government thrust to increase number of labs

– Most labs can only test primary nutrients though research shows large deficiencies to S and micronutrients (B, Zn, Mn, Fe, etc.)

– Some concern over the quality of sampling and analysis

International soil testing issues and perspectives• Russia (Dr. Svetlana Ivanova)

– In general soil testing is conducted by a network of labs (107 regional centers and stations) funded by the Government during 5-year “rounds” starting in 1970

– Has been some talk about privatization of labs but currently Ministry of Agriculture leads and coordinates agricultural land monitoring

– Recently, soil sampling services are being offered by large fertilizer producers … soil testing is still generally done by government labs

Paradigms by Joel Barker*, 1992

• Paradigm – a set of rules and regulations (written or unwritten) that:

– establishes or defines boundaries; and

– tells you how to behave inside the boundaries in order to be successful.

*Future Edge

The current soil testing paradigm

Sampling procedures – cores, area, depth, timing, volume

reduction, grinding, drying, etc.

Methods, automation, quality

control, etc.

Correlation, calibration, and

recommendations

Soil testing research

Soil sampling

Soil sample handling and preparation

Soil sample analysis

Interpretation and delivery of results

Soil testing practice

Education and training

Marketing and promotion

Government policy

Industry oversight

Soil testing infrastructure support

Paradigms by Joel Barker*, 1992

• Paradigm – a set of rules and regulations (written or unwritten) that:

– establishes or defines boundaries; and

– tells you how to behave inside the boundaries in order to be successful.

• “Sooner or later, every paradigm begins to develop a very special set of problems that everyone in the field wants to be able to solve and no one has a clue as to how to do it.”

• “Unsolved problems are put aside … “up on a shelf, so to speak. And we make a promise to ourselves, “We’ll get back to them sooner or later”.”

*Future Edge

Problems up on the shelf• K and sample drying

• Sampling fields with banded fertilizer

• Extreme unstructured micro-scale soil variability

• Short-term vs long-term interpretation

• Relevant soil test calibration – genetic changes, tillage impacts, rotation impacts, temporal subsoil changes, etc.

• Interpretation of soil P for risk to water quality

• Soil carbon measurement

• Integration of soil tests with climate/weather driven mechanistic crop and nutrient management support tools

• Reliable testing for secondary and micronutrients – yield & quality

• Farmer access to reliable and affordable laboratory services (developing countries)

When no soil testing is available, a paradigm shift occurs such as plant-based approaches

• Used to determine indigenous nutrient supply when other nutrients are non-limiting and the approximate rate to apply to correct deficiency.

• Soil testing is a research tool to assist in defining domains.

N omission plotin rice field in SE Asia

N omission plot in maize field in Guatemala

Treatment Examples:Full fertilization: NPK appliedN omission (–N): No N applied, full P & K appliedP omission (–P): No P applied, full N & K applied K omission (–K): No K applied, full N & P applied

Red = Below averageYellow – AverageGreen – Excellent

N omission plots & delta yield in the U.S. NDVI Satellite Image

How does soil testing connect with this technology?

Should we expect soil testing to be the one

tool to do it all?

Or a tool providing input to be integrated with other nutrient management information?

Can plant and soil – based approaches be more fully integrated?

Variable Rate Applicator with active sensor Strips

StampsRamps

Site factors

Crop SoilGrower Nutrient inputsWater qualityClimateWeatherTechnologyEconomics

Decision

Action

OutcomeFeedback loop

Output

Recommendation of right source, rate, time, place

Can soil testing be better integrated into adaptive management decision support systems?

After Fixen, 2007.

Productivity, profitabilitydurability, environmental

impact (nutrient use efficiency)

Decision Support

Based on scientific principles

Stakeholder input

• Assessment of soil fertility status and change is a critical need for addressing current and future challenges.

• Soil testing is growing in the U.S. and several developing countries but is not functional in others.

• Numerous soil testing problems are sitting “on the shelf” that in some cases are resulting in a paradigm shift in nutrient management decision support.

• More systematic integration of soil test information with other site factors influencing nutrient decisions could add value to soil test data.

Summary