Our team is often asked why we don’t test for nitrogen in our SoilKit testing program. Nitrogen, after all, is the first, heaviest and probably most important element in a fertilizer analysis. Its value should be a major concern when testing soil. While nitrogen is very important to soil and plant health, the element is also very unstable, resulting in a volatile range of test values over a short period of time. Rainfall, irrigation, nutritive leakage, runoff and plant uptake contribute to the variances in nitrogen’s weight in the soil. Test results can change significantly from the time a soil sample is taken until it gets to the lab for testing. For this reason, agronomists have little confidence in the test value of nitrogen.
At Agritech, we offer a broader yet customized nitrogen evaluation, with treatment recommendations based on grass or plant variety, region, time of year and plot size. We are currently making this assessment available at no charge to our customers, providing a basic yet incomplete introduction to our virtual analytical platform, SoilKit 365. Nitrogen might be the food that plants thrive on, but the macro and micronutrients are the vitamins and minerals plants need for balanced nutrition, disease immunity, cell development, and root structure for efficient moisture and nitrogen uptake. Among these are the two other major elements in the fertilizer NPK analysis–phosphorous and potassium–which require more detailed lab-based testing to accurately measure levels and guide recommendations. Both–along with pH and the minor elements of iron, manganese, copper, zinc, boron and more–are included elements in a SoilKit soil test.
SoilKit 365 provides environmentally safe recommendations for the right nutrient treatment application, at the right time, for the right plant. Nitrogen is a vital piece of the growth equation and our complimentary assessment is a great first step on the path to a bountiful lawn and garden. The balance of the journey lies within the full SoilKit 365 experience. We hope you take advantage of this perfect opportunity to sample the science of SoilKit 365.
Click here to sign up for your free nitrogen assessment.
