Special Article - Continued from the October 2008 Hazelnut Outlook

Soil Test to Maximize your Nutrient Budget

Have you tested your soil yet? This is the time of year to sample your orchard for nutrient requirements and soil amendments.  OVS has a unique analysis which covers forty-two key points measuring your soils nutrient profile. This is especially important as the cost of fertilizer inputs continues to rise. We have seen unprecedented increases in the cost of the materials we use. Historically, synthetic fertilizers have been inexpensive to purchase and apply. Nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K) were barely $300 per ton several years ago.  Now, however, we are seeing the cost of these materials at over $1,000 per ton. 

It only makes economic sense to know not only what nutrients your soil contains but also how available these nutrients are for crop uptake.  A soil test should identify the complete picture for you. OVS can offer a unique report with tools to do just that.  One side of the report gives you the results of a traditional soil test with an exchangeable extraction run using acidic reagents to identify nutrient levels stored in the soil. This, however, does not identify what portion of these nutrients are available to the plant. Our Soluble Paste extraction identifies nutrients held in the soil solution and readily available to plants.

This report will also show the ratio of cations to anions. You will get a complete listing of the macro and micronutrients to reference. Also included are important soil aspects including electrical conductivity (EC), cation exchange capacity (CEC), pH, Organic Matter (O.M.) and the soil solution weight. Along with this data, we’ll provide priority recommendations based on your budget. 

Why is this all so important? Farmers economically continue to manage fertilizer needs as we in the past. The information provided in this soil test enables you and your OVS Agronomist to refine your nutrient inputs to achieve maximum effectiveness with your fertilizer dollar. This really is an important tool that will help you do just that.

OVS recently developed a facility to further help you farm successfully.  This is our liquid fertilizer blending plant located in McMinnville. The addition of this facility last spring gives your OVS Agronomist the ability to use the information from your soil and tissue tests to custom formulate the nutrients your crops require. We will work with you to ensure the best return on your nutrient dollars. With the addition of a 3 million BTU water heater we can formulate a variety of different products along with the integration of humics to enhance nutrient utilization to meet your specific needs.

Call OVS, or stop and check out the OVS difference. Let us earn your business.


Click here to view the October 2008 newsletter in Adobe Reader PDF format with images
(This is a large file and may take a few moments to fully download)
 

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