News

CEMA 216 Basics

USDA's primary regenerative agriculture funding opportunity is the NRCS Regenerative Pilot Program, launched for FY2026. The program provides approximately $700 million to support the adoption of regenerative practices. As part of the application process, soil health testing is required at the beginning of the contract and throughout the contract period.

The challenge throughout the winter has been the list of required soil health tests outlined in the CEMA 216 document. Previous versions of the document not only specified the required tests but also required specific laboratory methods to perform them. These methods were not commonly offered by commercial laboratories, greatly limiting access to labs capable of completing the required testing.

In April, CEMA 216 was updated to the January 2026R version, which removed the laboratory method restrictions. The latest version of the CEMA documents can always be found here: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/eqip-environmental-quality-incentives/cpas-dias-and-cemas.

While ALGL is not currently able to perform the entire suite of required tests in-house, we can subcontract the necessary soil health testing to help you and your customers participate in NRCS regenerative agriculture funding programs.

Contact your regional agronomist or the laboratory directly for more information.

Tips for Getting the Best Possible Results from Plant Tissue Analysis

Plant tissue testing continues to grow in popularity as growers and crop advisors work to fine-tune their fertility programs. With the ever-increasing costs of inputs, it is important to identify which ones are necessary and which ones work. Plant tissue analysis can help in several ways. It can potentially identify a nutrient deficiency prior to the development of visual symptoms. It can be used as a general monitoring of an overall fertility program. It can be used as a comparison between areas of a field that are obviously performing differently. Whatever the reason for collecting a plant tissue sample may be, it is critical to get a good quality sample to the laboratory. Here are some tips to help ensure that you receive reliable data back from the laboratory.

• Be sure to correctly identify the growth stage of the crop. There are numerous guides and diagrams available from university extension programs as well as commercial companies. Compile a small library for the crops that you routinely scout.
• Collect the proper plant part for the current growth stage. For the common row crops in our region, the proper plant part to sample changes throughout the growing season. Failure to submit the correct plant part will result in erroneous sufficiency ratings.
• Never send plants with the roots still attached. Early season plant samples often call for collecting the “whole plant”. This means the above ground portion. Plant should be cut off about ½ inch above the soil surface. Including the root material will result in contamination of the sample with soil primarily impacting the iron and aluminum levels in the results.
• Package your sample correctly. Always pack plant samples in paper bags. If you do not have the sample bags provided by the lab, brown paper lunch sized bags work as well. Do not use plastic bags for plant samples. Plastic bags seal in the moisture and speed up the decomposition of the plant material.
• When shipping multiple samples in a box make sure that the sample bags are secured so the samples do not dump out of the bag and do not over fill the shipping box. Stuffing too many plant samples into a box will also speed up the decomposition.
• Avoid shipping plant samples over the weekend, especially a holiday weekend. Packages shipped over the weekend are generally stored in trailers. During the heat of summer this could be detrimental to plant samples.
• Ideally plant samples are collected and shipped to the lab on the same day and only spend one or two days in transit. This is not always possible due to logistics and the weather. If necessary, let the plant material start to dry out. Spread the plant material out in a dry location and let it begin to airdry then repackage the sample and send it to the lab when it is convenient. All nutrient analysis is done on dried plant material. Starting the process will not impact your results.

If you have any questions or concerns about plant sample collection or shipping process, please do not hesitate to contact us. The customer service and agronomy staff will be more than happy to assist.

Hydroponic Systems and Nutrient Cycling

Hydroponic systems can be very elaborate, large scale and even automated from start to finish. They can also be simple, small and for home use but one thing they all have in common is nutrient cycling. The nutrient solution must be changed, or cycled, every two to four weeks depending on various factors.

It starts with the water source. After all, hydroponics is the production of plants in a water medium rather than soil. The water source should be tested before any additional nutrients or conditioners are added. Just like in soil, the pH must be addressed first. If the pH is too high, or too low, there may be nutrient availability issues. The solution should have a target pH of 5.5 to 6.0 for maximum required nutrient availability for most commercially grown crops. If the solution is too low, or acidic, there may be less available calcium and magnesium. If it is too high, or basic, many of the micronutrients and phosphorus are not available. Ammonia based nitrogen products tend to decrease pH and nitrate forms tend to increase pH in the nutrient solution.

The EC, or electrical conductivity, measures the water’s ability to conduct an electrical current. Salt concentration, minerals, metals and solids in the solution will increase the EC value. If the solution starts at a concentration higher than the desired threshold, it will only continue to increase as soluble nutrients are added to the solution. A starting EC of 1 mmhos/cm or less is desirable.

Not all nutrients are taken into the plant at the same rate, or speed. Phosphorus can accumulate over time in the solution due to slower uptake and is added back in most nutrient mixes at full strength. Other micronutrients and metals will accumulate over time at toxic levels if the solution is not cycled. Hydroponics is a balancing act, and once the EC gets too high from salt accumulation the roots will “burn” and decrease growth. Without a good root system, the plant will not have proper nutrient uptake.

The simple way to start with a consistent nutrient solution is to filter the water source using reverse osmosis. This ensures a clean starting point to add nutrients. Once the nutrient package is added, a water analysis can be used to know when it needs to be cycled out. Depending on the scale of the operation, this can be a very cost-effective way to manage nutrient levels and knowing when to cycle out the current solution.

Always sample the water source before adding nutrient packages. This will prevent costly mistakes like high EC levels, aid in the correction of hard water, management of pH and provide sufficient nutrients for the crops. Sampling the water source, in conjunction with sampling nutrient solutions, is the most effective way to manage a hydroponic system.

Fernandez, D. (2020, October 11). Factors limiting the life of a recirculating hydroponic nutrient solution. Science in Hydroponics. https://scienceinhydroponics.com/2020/10/factors-limiting-the-life-of-a-recirculating-hydroponic-nutrient-solution.html

Ronzoni, R., & Mattson, N. (2020). A guide to home hydroponics for leafy greens. Cornell University Controlled Environment Agriculture Program. https://bpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/blogs.cornell.edu/dist/8/8824/files/2020/05/Guide-To-Home-Hydroponics-For-Leafy-Greens.pdf

Managing Apple Expectations with Nitrogen Regulation

For many cash crops, the more inputs and higher management practices lead to higher yields. A certain amount of nutrition is needed to produce the yield goal and still get a positive return on investment. With nitrogen, the higher the rate usually equates to higher yield. The same can be applied to apple production. There needs to be a calculation that leads to how much nitrogen can be applied to obtain a certain yield and receive a positive return on investment. To figure out what the best application rate will be, an end goal must be established.

Some growers prefer dessert apples, others culinary and sauce or cider. There are many different products produced using apples and this will be the leading variable to nitrogen rates. The cultivar can have a great influence on nutrient requirements. Seasonal changes and environmental factors, as well as soil test levels, play a key role in nutrient applications.

Nitrogen is one of the major drivers for vegetative growth in plants. Too much nitrogen uptake can lead to rapid vegetative growth and shoot elongation. This will lead to shading of fruiting areas, increased humidity in the canopy and a competitive fight for nutrients from the fruit. This is where apples can experience diseases, such as Bitter Pit, because the calcium is being used in cell construction of vegetative growth rather than fruit production. From a management perspective, it creates much more pruning to contain efficient harvest heights and open canopies.

For dessert apples, higher nitrogen rates can be used. The producer wants a large apple that is juicy. Using the term “juicy” does not necessarily mean better juice, perhaps just more of it. The higher the nitrogen, the higher the water content of the fruit juice. By pruning correctly, fruit size will increase but it is important to regulate nitrogen applications for higher sugar content. For cider and sauce uses, the amount of tannin, pectin and fruit size is mostly dictated by the cultivar. However, to have the highest sugar content, low nitrogen rates create smaller fruit. This leads to more fruit skin surface area resulting in much higher tannins and less water concentration creating a higher sugar content.

Precipitation amounts will play a large role in water content of an apple. A wet, rainy season during fruit growth stages will increase water uptake, carrying nitrogen with it, which will increase the fruit size and decrease sugar content. The type of soil, slope and location of trees can have a large impact as well. Soil with good drainage, will hold less water. Heavier soils with higher organic matter will mineralize more nitrogen and typically yield larger fruit with less sugar content.

Do Cover Crops Produce Nitrogen for Your Next Crop?

Cover crops provide many benefits to agricultural soil, increased organic matter, erosion reduction, weed suppression, moisture retention, improved soil structure, disrupting pest cycles, and the list goes on. However, a common question is, do they provide nitrogen to the next crop? The straightforward answer is yes, maybe, sometimes, and it depends…

The first thing to consider is the type of cover crop. Legumes such as clover and peas have the potential to provide nitrogen. Grass species such as rye and oats are not likely to provide any nitrogen to the next crop. It all comes down to the carbon to nitrogen ratio. The majority of nitrogen in plants is tied up in proteins. Legumes have more. The problem is that protein is not plant available and must be decomposed by soil microbes to be released as ammonium or nitrate for the plants to utilize. In order for the microbes to do their job, they need a C:N ratio of about 25:1. Grass species generally have a C:N around 30:1 to 50:1. This means that the microbes need to find another source of nitrogen to breakdown these cover crops leaving none to be released. On the other hand, legumes generally have C:N around 15:1 to 25:1. When there is more nitrogen in the cover crop than the microbes need, it can be released to the soil solution for the crop to utilize.

As with anything in agriculture, weather has the greatest impact on the potential for nitrogen release from cover crops. The microbes need warm soil temperatures and adequate moisture. Fortunately, when conditions are favorable for microbial activity, it is also favorable for plant growth which means there is a greater chance of utilizing the nitrogen.

So, how much nitrogen can you realistically expect from a legume cover crop? Some research has claimed that a clover cover crop can provide 70 to 90 pounds of nitrogen per acre. This is not entirely true. When testing the biomass of the cover crop, it is definitely possible for there to be that much nitrogen, but it does not, the crop will have access to all of it. Another misconception in some of the research is that all the yield gained following a legume cover crop is a result of a nitrogen contribution. As mentioned above, cover crops can provide many benefits that can improve yield. So, if you reduce a nitrogen application by all the nitrogen in the cover crop biomass, you may be under applying leaving missing out on potentially higher yields. A more realistic expectation following a well established legume cover crop is about 30 pounds of nitrogen per acre. Another thing to consider is tillage. A cover crop terminated through conventional tillage is more likely to decompose in a timely manner than one that is terminated with herbicide in a no-till situation due to the increased soil contact with the plant tissue.

Did the 2025 Drought Impact Soil Test Results?

In short, yes—for those areas that experienced a D3 drought. For much of the region, D3 drought conditions developed partway through the fall harvest of 2025 and extended through the spring of 2026. Over the past few years, areas impacted by D3 drought have shown consistent effects on soil samples. Observations suggest that late D2 into D3 droughts can significantly influence soil test results.

Below are previous blog posts with additional information on how drought impacts soil samples:

• algreatlakes.com/blogs/news/impacts-of-the-dry-2024-fall
• algreatlakes.com/blogs/news/soil-testing-after-a-drought-originally-posted-2012

How can you tell if your data is impacted?
The clearest indicator is areas within fields showing very high soil pH. While not ideal to manage, these locations are best suited to assess drought impact. These areas typically have a soil pH of 8.1 to 8.2 and are often associated with free calcium carbonate in the soil—meaning there are more carbonates (lime) present than can chemically react.

High soil pH is usually accompanied by very high calcium (ppm) levels and calcium cation saturation of 80% or greater in mineral soils with a CEC of 10–20, and over 90% in sandy soils.

This situation is unique because the acid-neutralization reaction stalls when soil pH reaches 8.1 to 8.2 and cannot increase further. At that point, unreacted carbonates (lime) remain in the soil, available to neutralize future acid inputs. This reserve capacity keeps soil pH elevated for the foreseeable future. These conditions can result from excessive lime applications or naturally occurring carbonates.

However, in areas with free or excessive carbonates that are severely impacted by drought, soil pH may drop below 8.0. In parts of northwest Indiana and northwest Ohio from fall 2025 through early spring 2026, soil pH values of 7.5 to 7.6 were observed in areas that historically tested between 8.0 and 8.2 - representing an approximate 0.5-unit decrease.

Soil test potassium (K) declines are less predictable but tend to occur under similar conditions. Reports indicate estimated declines of 15–30% in soil test K levels compared to recent historical values. While soil pH typically recovers quickly with increased rainfall, potassium levels may remain depressed for several months.

Some notable phosphorus (P) declines have also been reported. However, these may be influenced by reduced phosphorus application rates over the past few years.

Soil pH Impact on Potassium Retention

Soil pH impacts potassium differently than other nutrients. For phosphorus, soil pH affects the chemical form of the nutrient and the cations it bonds to. For potassium, however, the impact of soil pH is entirely about finding a place on the Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC).

Not all cations (positively charged ions) are created equal. The affinity, or lyotropic series, defines how strongly cations are held by the CEC. Assuming all cations are present in equal amounts, aluminum and hydrogen will bind to the CEC first, and sodium last:

Al³⁺ > H⁺ > Ca²⁺ > Mg²⁺ > K⁺ = NH₄⁺ > Na⁺

Aluminum and hydrogen have a high affinity for the soil CEC. At a low soil pH (below 5.5), aluminum becomes soluble and exchangeable, and the hydrogen concentration in the soil increases. At these low pH levels, these cations dominate, leaving little space on the CEC for the retention of potassium, ammonium, and sodium. (Sodium’s inability to bond strongly to the CEC is actually a good thing, as it leaches away).

High soil pH levels are created by the presence or application of calcium- and magnesium-based carbonates and bicarbonates. Calcium and magnesium have very similar affinities for the CEC, and both are much stronger than potassium, ammonium, and sodium. At high soil pH, calcium and magnesium dominate the sites bound to the CEC, again leaving little space for potassium retention.

Additionally, the typically low CEC of sandy soils reduces the chance of potassium finding a binding site. The structure of organic matter CEC is also not conducive to the retention of potassium at any soil pH.

In summary, the impact of soil pH on potassium is not about changing the form of the nutrient to limit plant uptake; rather, soil pH impacts the soil’s ability to retain potassium and prevent it from leaching down through the soil profile.

Biologicals and Nutrient Use Efficiency

As crop fertility inputs increase, the need for using soilborne nutrients more efficiently increases as well. This is not a new concept and occurs naturally without prompt. The soil is full of biological processes and is continuously converting organic substances to inorganic, or plant available, forms. There are, however, products in the marketplace that try to add to the native soil biology with varying success.

To better understand how biological organisms use, convert, neutralize and upcycle nutrients they must be categorized and uses described. According to Cornell University, the different types of biologicals, or microorganisms, are best described as living and non-living. The living microbes may include nitrogen fixing bacteria and decomposers. Nitrogen fixing bacteria are microorganisms that can convert dinitrogen from the air using an enzyme called nitrogenase. Nitrogenase is very sensitive to oxygen exposure and needs an anaerobic environment to convert dinitrogen to ammonia. Decomposers simply break down organic matter and residue into available forms of nutrients. The microbes that consume organic matter and residues consist of bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes.

Each type serves a purpose in the process. Bacteria need warm soils and nitrogen to consume simple forms. Fungi and actinomycetes break down cellulose and lignin which take the longest to recycle. This is why residue worked in with tillage tools too deep may not break down for several seasons because fungi need oxygen to work. To make residue cycling quicker, it just needs more soil to surface contact. This can be done by utilizing chopping corn heads/aggressive knife rollers, crimpers/rollers, and tillage practices to name a few.

The non-living section of microbes are derived from living organisms and used as bio-stimulants. Humic and fulvic acids and sugars aid in the processes of residue and organic matter conversion. Living organisms need a multitude of factors to align to reach their full potential. Certain requirements must be met depending on the type of microorganism they are. Perhaps this is why research and yield data has been inconsistent, across the marketplace, for biological additives for cropping systems.

 As mentioned above, some microbes prefer oxygen and cool temperatures to perform their best. So, when introducing a live, or dormant, biological to the soil and/or plant what precautions are being taken? This may require climate cooled storage facilities with aerators for long-term shelf life and quick application windows. Others prefer no oxygen and warmer temperatures. In this instance, knifing (or subsurface application) of a bacterial application may be necessary. Most soils already contain necessary biological life. They may just need better fundamentals like moisture, air, organic matter and nitrogen.

Cornell University Nutrient Management Spear Program. (n.d.). Nutrient release from organic materials (Agronomy Fact Sheet #127). Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

The ALGL Customer Photo Calendar is Back!

The ALGL customer photo calendar is back! Once again, we are reaching out to the best customers a business can ask for.

 Do You have photos to share?  Please share with us pictures of those things in life sciences that speak to you and show how amazing the world around us truly is. We want to see pictures that illustrate what fuels your passion for life sciences and customer service. When you get that picture captured, send it to news@algreatlakes.com along with your name, address, and brief note about the picture(s). Please submit your pictures in the highest resolution possible before September 15th. Then we will select our favorite pictures, then we will be letting our followers on Facebook vote on their favorite, to be on the cover of the 2027 calendar. Follow us on Facebook for voting details.

 Photo criteria 

• Landscape oriented photos preferred but not required.
• Please do not crop the pictures before submission.
• Please share the highest possible resolution photo.
• Please try to avoid company logos and easily identifiable faces.
• No dangerous or illegal activities.

Rules 

• Photo submission deadline is September 15, 2026
• One entry per person, however you may submit more than one photo.
• Must be 18 years or older to enter.
• Need not be present to win.
• No purchase necessary.
• Submitting a photo gives A&L Great Lakes permission to use the photo for promotional use.
• Employees of A&L Great Lakes Laboratories, Inc. and their immediate families are not eligible for prizes but may submit photos for consideration in the calendar.
• Use of images in promotional items does not increase your odds of winning a prize.
• Contest decisions and/or judgements by A&L Great Lakes Laboratories, Inc. are final.

What’s the Difference Between Lawn & Garden and Routine Soil Test Packages?

As the weather begins to warm up, people start getting antsy about their outdoor hobbies such as gardening and lawn care. Many home landscape enthusiasts start each growing season with a soil test. While anyone is welcome to send samples to us directly, many samples often come through our traditional agricultural clients as people want their samples shipped in by the company that they plan to buy fertilizer from. This situation frequently raises the question as to what is the difference between our Lawn & Garden packages and the routine packages used for agricultural samples?

As far as the laboratory processes being used, there is no difference. There are 2 options for Lawn & Garden packages, a basic and a complete package. The basic package is the same as our S1 package. The complete package is the same as our S2 and S3 packages. The difference is the level of fertilizer recommendations included. For Lawn & Gardens, the recommendations are given in pounds of nutrient per 100 and 1000 square feet and product specific recommendations are written by one of the ALGL staff agronomists, i.e. “Use 20 pounds of 21-0-0-24, ammonium sulfate, per 1000 square foot of garden.” These test packages are intended for homeowners who may not have knowledge of calculating fertilizer rates.

What many of our more traditional agricultural clients don’t realize is that we can provide the provide the same recommendations for lawns, gardens, flowers, etc. Using our routine test packages. The difference is that it only includes the calculated nutrient requirements, and not the product specific recommendations. This allows the retailer to choose the most appropriate fertilizer that they offer to meet their needs. When the products are being made by the lab agronomist, we often use very generic products so the homeowner has a better chance of finding them at a big box store or at a specialty garden store.

When using our routine soil test packages for lawn and garden type samples we will change the format to a graphical representation of the soil test ratings to help give the end customer a better understanding of the results. Below are examples of the different report formats.

Lawn and Garden report with product recommendations.