Plant and Soil Sampling Earth and Practice

PLANT SAMPLING

INRODUCTION

Over the years, the popularity of plant analysis or tissue testing has gone through several popularity

cycles. This analytical tool is still important in modern agriculture. The reason for this importance,

however, has changed. When this diagnostic tool was introduced, it was intended to either help diagnose

nutrient related problems or monitor the nutrient status of high-yielding crops. In today’s agriculture,

nutrient deficiencies are not common. Therefore, the use of plant analysis as a diagnostic tool has

diminished. Nevertheless, the value of plant analysis as a monitoring tool remains. Technologies and

procedures used in the collection of plant samples vary with the intended purpose. Suggested procedures

for the diagnosis and monitoring purposes are discussed separately.

PLANT SAMPLING PROCEDURES

1. Sampling the Right Plant Part

Sampling the correct plant part at the correct time is critical to ensure accurate results. In addition,

sampling multiple plants to form a single composite sample is crucial to ensure that the concentration

number obtained from the lab is meaningful and represents a true average from the collection area. A

summary of plant parts to sample is given in table below. Samples can be air dried by placing them in a

warm area with a fan blowing air across them. To lessen the risk of molding, samples should be stored in

paper bags prior to drying or sending samples to the lab. Storing of plant samples in sealed plastic bags is

discouraged.

Recommended plants part to sample based on the crop growth stage.

Crop Stage Part No.

Corn < 12 inch All above ground plant part 10
Silking Leaf opposite and below ear 10
Soy bean < 12 inch All above ground plant part 10
Mid to full bloom Upper fully developed trifoliate 30
Alfalfa Prior to 1/10 bloom Upper 6 inches of the plant 10
Grass Prior to heading Top leaves 50
Potato Tuber initiation to bulking Petioles 30 - 40
Small grains Boot stage All above ground plant part 20

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Sugar beet 6 – 10 weeks Developed leaf and /or petiole 15

2. Taking Plant Samples Early in the Season

An analysis of nutrient concentration only, is usually not effective in diagnosing many problems.

Calculation of nutrient uptake is a better choice. Why? Nutrients, even though one or more may be

deficient, are usually more concentrated in stunted plants. For example, the concentration of nitrogen may

be greater in plants that are 12 inches in height compared to plants that are much taller. The nitrogen is

simply diluted by carbohydrates in plants that are much taller. Calculation of nutrient uptake is a better

approach. In order to calculate nutrient uptake, it’s necessary to;

i. Dry the whole plants collected,

ii. Get an accurate weight, and

iii. Complete an analysis of the plant material

Nutrient uptake is calculated by multiplying plant dry weight by nutrient concentration. Knowing the

number of plants sampled, uptake for an individual plant can be determined. To measure nutrient uptake

there must be access to an oven that will dry a sample rapidly and a scale or electronic balance that can

measure small differences in weight. So, some planning is needed if there is intent to calculate nutrient

uptake. In diagnostic situations, soil samples should be collected whenever and wherever plant samples

are collected. Analysis of soil samples can often provide a good indication of nutrient deficiencies. By

comparing the results of the analysis of soil samples collected, suspected nutrient deficiencies can be

confirmed or rejected.

3. Taking Plant Samples Late in the Season

When collecting samples late in the season there is less emphasis on total uptake of nutrients and more

emphasis on sampling plant parts that, when the nutrient concentration is compared, correlate well to final

crop yield. For corn it is recommended to sample leaves opposite and below the ear at silk emergence

when pollen is falling. Timing of sample collection for corn is important. Samples should be collected

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before the silks turn brown. Nutrient concentrations decline substantially after this point in the life cycle

and recognized standards cannot be used for comparison. For soybeans, a sample of the most recently

matured trifoliate collected at early to mid-bloom is the standard.

Example of where to take sample from late season corn at 50% silking.

4. Plant Sampling as a Diagnostic Tool

When used as a diagnostic tool we expect plant analysis to identify a nutrient deficiency if one is

expected or confirm a deficiency that is suspected. In these situations, we are usually faced with normal

and stunted and/or off-colored plants in the same field. The normal tendency of individuals is to collect

the stunted plants and conduct an analysis of the plant tissue. Plant sampling, however, is more

complicated if we expect tissue analysis to be an effective diagnostic tool. Three samples are needed if a

nutrient deficiency problem is to be effectively identified. One sample of whole plants should be collected

from the stunted area. A second sample should consist of whole plants collected from a marginal area

where there is a slight reduction in growth or where the plants are slightly stunted. Plants that are normal

and healthy should be used for the third sample.

5. Plant Sampling as a Monitoring Tool

If intended as a monitoring tool, plant analysis is used to assess the nutrient statues of plants in relation to

the fertilizer program used. If used for this purpose, techniques for sample collection are different. Since

the results of the plant analysis will be compared to known standards, parts of plants should be sampled at

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a certain stage of development. The results of the analysis of these tissue samples are compared to

standards that are summarized in tables below. Taking con and soybean as examples, plant analysis, if

used correctly, can be a useful management tool in modern agriculture. To get good information, stop and

think before sample collection. Are samples being collected to diagnose a problem or to monitor the

results of a fertilizer program?

Expected range in nutrient concentrations for corn leaves collected at 50% silk

Nutrients Expected range

Nitrogen (N) % 2.70 – 3.50
Phosphorus (P) % 0.20 – 0.40
Potassium (K) % 1.70 – 2.50
Sulfur (S) % 0.10 – 0.30
Calcium (Ca) % 0.40 – 1.0
Magnesium (Mg) % 0.20 – 0.40
Boron (B) Ppm 4 - 15
Copper (Cu) Ppm 3 - 15
Iron (Fe) Ppm 50 – 200
Manganese (Mn) Ppm 20 - 250
Zinc (Zn) Ppm 20 - 70

Expected range in nutrient concentrations for soybean trifoliate samples at early to mid-bloom

Nutrients Expected range

Nitrogen (N) % 4.01 – 5.50
Phosphorus (P) % 0.26 – 0.50
Potassium (K) % 1.71 – 2.50
Sulfur (S) % 0.21 – 0.40
Calcium (Ca) % 0.36 – 2.0
Magnesium (Mg) % 0.26 – 1.00
Boron (B) Ppm 21 - 55
Copper (Cu) Ppm 10 - 30
Iron (Fe) Ppm 51 – 350
Manganese (Mn) Ppm 21 - 100
Zinc (Zn) Ppm 20 - 50

LABORATORY ANALYSIS

Taking corn basal stalk test for nitrate, the following things should be considered;

What to Measure

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In this analytical test, a 6-inch section of the corn stalk starting at 6 to 8 inches above the soil surface is

analyzed for NO3 -N. Leaves are not included. The results are compared to standards developed from

field research. For best results, the sample should be collected after formation of black layer in the kernel.

Waiting until after harvest to collect the sample could easily lead to inaccurate results.

What is the Sample?

The base of the corn stalk is used for this test. The base is considered to be that section of stalk that is 6

inches long and starts 6 to 8 inches above the said surface. This section of stalk should include the bottom

node of the plant. Only stalk, not leaf or sheath tissue, is submitted for the sample. Any other tissue

should be removed before the sample is submitted. A representative sample should include at least 15

stalks from the area of interest. Some advisors have worked with farmers to compare the impact of

various rates of nitrogen fertilizer across the landscape. For these comparisons, this test, in addition to

yield, would be an added feature in the evaluation of nitrogen rates. This test could also be used in the

evaluation of management zones.

Corn stalk samples

Handling the Sample

Once the sample is collected, it should be split vertically parallel to the length of the corn stalk. Splitting

each stalk into four sections would be ideal. Splitting into two sections is absolutely necessary. The

splitting is necessary to assure rapid drying. Once split, the sections should be dried as rapidly as possible.

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Use of an oven or placing in front of a fan blowing warm air is suggested for rapid drying. Once dried, the

samples can be submitted to the laboratory. Accurate results depend on rapid drying of the samples.

Suggested Interpretation of the Results

As mentioned, this is a diagnostic not predictive, test. Interpretation of the results is given in Table 6.

When interpreting the basal stalk nitrate values, it’s important to remember that factors other than

excessive use of N fertilizer can lead to high values. Anything that can cause a severe reduction in yield

such as hail damage or drought can lead to high values.

Concerns

i. The results of this test are diagnostic and not predictive. Do not make a management change base

only on the test results.

ii. The results from different samples can be quite variable. The results from the sample area in a

field managed the same way have a range of values from 7.4 to 1896 ppm.

iii. Choosing the representative location to sample in a field may be difficult at best.

iv. Any stress, such as drought, can cause the test results to be greater than expected and thus effect

the interpretation.

SOIL SAMPLING

INTRODUCTION

The ultimate goal of soil sampling is to characterize the nutrient status of a field as accurately as possible,

while also considering the associated cost. In precision soil sampling, sample locations (point and/or

zone) are geo - referenced, allowing the soil test results to be correlated with spatial details of the

samples. It is possible to establish geo - referenced soil sampling locations using one of two processes.

The first process is to save soil sampling locations as the actual physical samples are being collected.

This is accomplished using GPS equipment and mobile software. The advantage to this process is that no

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time is needed to plan, but it has the disadvantage that no other data is used to direct the creation of soil

sampling locations, which limits its effectiveness.

The second process is to choose sample locations beforehand using GIS software. This software allows

multiple datasets or layers to be visualized, which aids in establishing sampling locations. GPS equipment

and mobile software are loaded with these locations and are used for guidance to these locations. This

ensures that the physical samples are obtained from the pre-determined positions in the field. For

precision soil sampling, this procedure is the most effective in the selection of sampling locations.

METHODS OF SOIL SAMPLING

The following are the common soil sampling methods used within a specified region.

1. Random Composite Sampling Vs. Point Sampling

Composite soil sampling consists of physical probes being taken at randomly chosen sites throughout an

entire sampling area and combined into a single sample. It is suggested to travel a zigzag pattern within

the sampling area when collecting probes for composite samples. The soil test results from the sample are

used to represent the entire sampling area. A disadvantage to composite sampling is that it poorly

characterizes field variability, creating coarse maps with distinct, sharp divisions between sampled areas.

In point sampling, a sample location (point) is established and the physical sample is obtained within a

specified radius from this point. Soil test results are linked to each sample point and interpolation methods

are used to obtain values for the remaining unsampled areas of the field. Technically, point sampling can

be considered a variation of composite sampling, but differs because it represents a single point, not an

entire area.

2. Grid Soil Sampling

Grid soil sampling subdivides a field into an arrangement of cells (usually squares) and a sample is taken

from each of these cells. There are several sampling pattern schemes that might be considered in grid

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sampling. These include regular systematic point, staggered start point, systematic unaligned point, and

random composite cell.

i. Regular systematic sampling (sometimes called cell center sampling) takes one sample from the

center of each grid cell. This method was one of the most common approaches even before the

rise of precision agriculture technology, because it allowed the person collecting the samples to

use a tachometer or “step off” distances between sample points. The figure below shows an

example of a regular systematic sampling scheme. One soil sample would be taken from each of

the center-aligned circles.

A regular systematic sampling scheme.

ii. In staggered start sampling (sometimes called triangular or diamond sampling), the start and end

of each sampling rank are offset to compensate for systematic errors in one direction. These

errors or biases are a direct result of past management practices. Past application of banded

fertilizer may create “streaks” of higher nutrients from one end of the field to the other. Errors can

also occur from differentially applying manure, planting in the same direction year after year,

inconsistencies in broadcast fertilizer spreading patterns, and variability of dry fertilizer pellet

size. The offset of the sample locations can be achieved by shifting the sample points one-half the

distance from the cell center to the edge of the cell. This shift should occur in the opposite

direction of past management practices that have the potential to create biased results. Figure 2

shows an example of a staggered start sampling scheme, where the black dots represent sample

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locations. In this example, past fertilizer applications would have been in a “top to bottom”

direction. If sampling locations are aligned in this direction, error could be introduced into the

sampling results. Therefore, the offset of sampling locations are “left” and “right” of the grid

center.

A staggered start point sampling

iii. In systematic unaligned sampling (or sometimes called systematic random sampling), GIS

software is used to create a random sample location in each grid cell. This approach compensates

for the same systematic errors as the staggered start approach, but is slightly different because it

compensates in two directions. The figure below shows a potential scheme for implementing this

particular method. The systematic unaligned sampling approach is the most common method

used by commercial grid samplers.

A systematic unaligned sampling

3. Management Zone Sampling

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An alternative to grid soil sampling is management zone sampling (also called directed or smart

sampling). Actual management zones are established using a variety of resources and/or datasets. These

include soil surveys, past yield data, remote sensing imagery, landscape/topography, elevation, electrical

conductivity, and/or past knowledge of field characteristics. Correlations within these datasets can be

discovered using GIS software, leading to the formation of areas of interest or management zones. As in

all applications of GIS, the dataset integrity needs to be analyzed before using these data to guide

important management decisions. Unlike grid sampling, the shape, size, and number of management

zones will vary depending on field variability and the information derived from datasets. When compared

to grid sampling, management zone sampling tends to reduce the sample size and cost of sampling, while

still supplying accurate information on field fertility needs. Once management zones are created, they can

be sampled using point or composite sampling. The procedures for each of these are the same as

described for grid sampling. Each point sample should represent a certain amount of area. Therefore, the

number of point samples per zone will vary depending on the size of the zone. The number of composite

samples should be equal to the number of management zones. The figure below shows a management

zone sampling method.

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A point sampling for management zone

A random composite sampling for management zones

4. Grid/Management Zone Hybrid Soil Sampling

A third option for soil sampling is the grid/management zone hybrid method. For this method,

management zones are created using various data sources as described previously. These management

zones are used as a base map and a grid is overlaid onto this base map. Final sampling areas are defined

according to base map properties. The figure shows an example of a grid/management zone hybrid soil

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sampling. Figure ‘a’ shows a soil survey used as a base map, figure ‘b’ shows a grid overlaid on the soil

and figure ‘c’ shows a split along the soil subdivision on the base map.

5. Traditional Soil Sampling

Whole field composite sampling has been traditionally used as the best way to sample fields and is still

used by numerous farming operations. Soil probes are collected from various locations throughout the

entire field and combined into one sample. The advantage to this method is that it tends to be quick and

inexpensive, but there are some major drawbacks. This sampling technique can result in over or under

fertilization on large areas of the field, potentially causing financial losses either from applying extra,

unneeded nutrients or from yield loss due to under-fertilization.

LABORATORY ANALYSIS

The sampling of soil intended for laboratory analysis is done by taking several small quantities from a

given area. The samples are submitted to a laboratory center to identify the type and quality of the soil,

and to determine the right amount of nutrients that may be needed for the favorable growth of desirable

plant and animal organisms. A prospective site therefore should have its soil properly checked to gather

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information on its physical and chemical composition that will help the designer. The following

conditions should be considered;

i. Anticipate soil problems such as the acidity or alkalinity of the soil (pH).

ii. Know the kind and amount of fertilizer needed.

iii. Know the kind of development and management input such as reclaiming extremely acidic soils

(acid sulfate soils).

iv. Know the type and quality of soil that can be used as substrate.

v. Determine the species suitable for cultivation in the area.

Soil sampling should be undertaken not only during site selection but also during intervals between

culture periods or at least once a year. This is necessary for the following reasons:

i. To determine the level of nutrients so that fertilization regime is adjusted.

ii. To anticipate problems that may contribute to a decline in productivity such as: over fertilization

or presence of substances like pesticides and other chemicals that settle in the ground.

HOW TO TAKE SOIL SAMPLES

1. Material needed is as follows;

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Stainless steel or metal soil sampler Spade Plastic pail for mixing samples

Note book for taking notes Pentel pen for labeling

rubber bands and plastic bags

2. Clear are for sampling;

i. Remove or scrape away stones, rubbish or trash from the surface to expose the soil before

sampling.

ii. Soil samples should be collected away from fences, roads, building sites, straw or manure

piles, and other abnormal occurrences in the field.

3. With the use of spade or trowel get samples of soil at the specified depth, about 2.5 cm thick and

5 cm wide.

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4. Mix samples to get 1 kg of soil representing the area sampled and mix in a plastic pail to get

representative sample of the plot.

5. Air-dry the samples using the following procedures:

i. Spread the soil sample on top of a paper board preferably on a coarse blotting paper

(plain white) with its corresponding label.

ii. Spread thinly.

iii. Remove bits of materials such as stones, shells, wood, roots, etc.

iv. Dry the soil samples.

v. Let the sample stay to dry for 3-5 days and inspect whether the samples have already

dried. To speed up the drying process, break the samples into small pieces.

HOW TO DRY SOIL SAMPLES

Room temperature Sun drying

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Air drying Oven drying

DRY

i. In room temperature

ii. Indoors

iii. Free air circulation

DO NOT DRY

i. In too dusty or open area

ii. Under direct sun light

iii. In high temperatures

Push the samples in the plastic with labels as follows;

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Bring the soil samples to the laboratory and be cautious of the following;

i. Samples should not be exposed to direct sunlight or high temperature for too long. It should be

spread for air-drying as soon as possible or within 24 hours from sampling .

ii. Don't forget to put the date of sampling in the soil sample information sheet. Samples should be

prepared and submitted to the laboratory within one week after sampling.

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