March 19, 2007:
Testing soils for nutrient levels before applying expensive fertilizers can save you money at the same time as they protect the environment from nutrient overload. "I'm surprised more people don't soil test," says Fred Lozeman, EFP participant and partner in Lozeman Farms. "The savings in fertilizer cost would pay for the soil test and more. Over-fertilizing may cause leaching into the groundwater which becomes an environmental concern, so why not put on what you're supposed to."
For the best agronomic, economic and environmental results, test soils yearly.