History and Global Perspective of Soil Sampling and Analysis Paul E. Fixen S8/S4 Symposium – Soil Testing in the 21 st Century November 3, 2009
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