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Evolution of Data Delivery

Just like the submission of soil samples has changed over the last 50 years, the way and format that the data is delivered back to the customer and end-user has changed quite drastically.

In the 70’s and 80’s laboratory results were transferred from handwritten sheets used for record keeping in the lab to hand-typed forms that were shipped back to the customer by mail. Any fertilizer recommendations were manually calculated. Little changed until the mid-90’s other than the incorporation of more efficient word processing computers and dot matrix printers.

The improvement in computer technology throughout the 90’s improved both data collection in the laboratory, reducing the potential for handwritten errors as well as the delivery of the data to the customer. The adoption of email not only reduced printing and postage costs but also reduced turnaround time. While printed copies are still available, email is highly recommended. If existing account holders are currently receiving hard copies that are not needed, please contact the lab to update your account preferences.

Since the early 2000’s, the development and adoption of precision ag/GIS software have driven the need for compatible electronic formats of the data. These could also be delivered by email.  The early software programs generally utilized spreadsheet type data formats such as csv’s. As the number of software programs continued to grow, so did the number of different data formats needed to accommodate each program. While this created some challenges for the laboratory. However, it encouraged software companies to have an open dialogue with laboratories so that their common customers could receive useful and timely data delivery.

The next steps in the evolution of datal delivery was the development of direct web exports to the software platforms. This eliminated the need for manual uploads of the data files, greatly reducing processing time for ag service providers. As more software companies adopted different forms of direct data delivery, once again the number of different formats required continued to grow. Also, the number of programs that a single customer used was growing. As a result, ALGL developed the ability to export up to 5 different data formats for a single sample or field of samples.

Over the last ten to fifteen years, the development of the MODUS format has greatly reduced the number of custom formats required for all the different software platforms. The goal of the MODUS format, which was developed in partnership with software companies and commercial laboratories, was to create a single unified format that any software company could use.

At ALGL, we have maintained the ability to deliver printed hard copies through the postal service all the way to 5 different electronic formats delivered at the click of a button. We will strive to accommodate whatever the future may bring, but for the current time we ask our customers to keep us up to date with any software changes or data format needs as they change.

How Does Improving Corn Nitrogen Use Efficiency Impact Corn Input Costs?

The nitrogen use efficiency or the amount of nitrogen in pound of N to produce one bushel of corn wide range in the. This can range from 1.4 lbs N/bu of corn to as low as 0.6 lbs N/bu of corn. This range is primarily defined by one of two things, N management and soil organic matter content.

Practices like fall N application without a stabilizer before soils cool to below 50° F on a course textured soil would rank at 1.4 pounds of nitrogen per bu corn or higher. As management actions are taken to improve nitrogen retention in the soil or increase crop uptake the nitrogen use efficiency factor can decrease. The more practices implemented the better nitrogen use efficiency factor can be realized. Practices include but not limited to side-dressing, late season nitrogen applications, fertigation, using nitrogen stabilizers, implementing rate plot and utilizing stalk nitrate tests to dial in overall nitrogen rates.

Each 1% of soil organic matter can release 20 to 40 pounds of nitrogen. The ultimate nitrogen release from soil organic matter is weather dependent, however a conservative portion can be taken into account towards total nitrogen rates. Click here to learn more about Effective Nitrogen Release (ENR).

So, what is the financial benefit to improving your nitrogen use efficiency? The higher the yield potential and the higher the nitrogen price the more it pays. All with the goal of maintaining yield. Improving nitrogen use efficiency 0.1 or 0.2 can have a notable impact on reducing input costs.

Mechanisms of Nutrient Uptake

Plant uptake of nutrients can vary from nutrient to nutrient.  Some require plants to use energy for absorption and others are capable without.  To achieve an adequate amount of each, they may require different application approaches and a better understanding of how they are taken into the plant. 

Soil nutrient uptake into the plant occurs via three main avenues: root interception, diffusion and mass flow.  Root interception is the physical contact between roots and soil.  Nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron and manganese are absorbed through this pathway.  Promoting good soil structure, uniform application of nutrients and strong root structures all benefit root interception.  Uniformity is crucial to create the most surface area contact with the plant roots.  A very small amount, as little as one percent, of nutrient uptake is through root interception.

Diffusion is the movement of nutrients from a high concentration to a low concentration.  This is typically observed with a high soil solution concentration to the lower root surface.  The movement of nutrients is then ceased when an equilibrium has been met.  It does not require plant energy for uptake of diffused nutrients and is especially important for potassium and phosphorous uptake.  Placement of these two nutrients can rely heavily on tillage programs, soil types and environmental factors.  The soil test levels must be built up to adequate levels for proper diffusion to occur.  This can be important in no-till situations where surface applications will accumulate near the soil surface, but not near the root zone.  Banding partial recommendations near the root zone, especially in the earlier growth stages, can prove beneficial. 

The broadest category of nutrients utilized by the plant are taken in through a process called mass flow.  This is the movement of dissolved nutrients.  As the plant transpires, more soil solution is being brought into the plant through the root system.  Transpiration can have a large effect on nutrient uptake.  It requires soil moisture to regulate plant temperature, and water/nutrient transport.  Temperature, humidity, light and wind all play a part in the rate of transpiration.  Mass flow is responsible for nitrogen, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, boron, copper, iron, manganese, zinc and molybdenum uptake. 

Some plant nutrients will be taken up via multiple avenues.  Note that soil moisture is the key driving factor with 99% of soil nutrient uptake.  If soil test levels report adequate to the crop being grown, but it is experiencing low uptake (tissue) levels there are a few variables to consider.  Is there proper soil moisture, is pH limiting accessibility, root growth, environmental factors such as weather, and was the fertilizer placed in the right area for the plant to access it?

Corn Silage Nitrate Testing

The weather patterns throughout our region have raised concerns about the potential for nitrate toxicity in corn chopped for silage. The trend towards drier weather and/or lack of saturating rains has significant reduced nitrogen loss through the growing season. Corn has access to higher than normal nitrate levels in the soil. Nitrates have the potential to accumulate in a corn plant under any stressful conditions that hinder plant growth. There are many guides, articles, and fact sheets available that discuss the interpretation of the lab data and sampling procedures for corn that has already been chopped, but there is little guidance for sampling the corn prior to harvest.

The most important step in collecting a sample from a standing corn field is that the sample must be representative of the portion of the plant that will be harvested. That means cutting it at the same height as the chopper. Nitrates accumulate primarily in the lower stalk section, so a few inch difference can have a significant impact on your results. Second, the plants that are collected need to be representative of the condition of the field. For example, if a quarter of the field is performing poorly as compared to the rest of the field, a quarter of the plants collected for the sample need to be from that section, three quarters from the good area of the field. A sample should consist of a minimum of 15 plants to best represent the average of the whole area being sampled. The sample also needs to be collected as close to harvest as possible, because nitrate levels can change quickly as the weather changes.

Prior to sending the sample to the lab, the plants need to be chopped and thoroughly mixed. This is best accomplished with a lawn chipper shredder.  Once all the plants are chopped and mixed, collect a 1-gallon zip top bag sub sample to be shipped to the lab for analysis.

Please note that a Corn Stalk Nitrate Test (CSNT) and a feed nitrate test are very different in the sample collection and will give you very different results. A CSNT involves collecting only an 8-inch section of the lower stalk around black layer. This test is used to evaluate the effectiveness of a nitrogen program and does not necessarily represent a potential for nitrate toxicity.

For more information please see our A&L Great Lakes fact sheet, Nitrate Toxicity in Feed.

Another excellent resource is from the University of Wisconsin Extension, Nitrate Poisoning in Cattle, Sheep, and Goats.

For any additional questions regarding feed nitrate testing and sampling, feel free to contact your A&L Great Lakes Laboratories agronomist or call the laboratory directly as 260-483-4759. 

The Evolution of Soil Sample Submission

Over the last 4 to 5 decades, the process of getting soil samples from the field to the laboratory has changed quite a bit.

Commercial soil testing labs were not common until the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Prior to this, soil testing was generally done through land grant university laboratories.  At this time, a soil sample was generally collected to represent an entire field and to try to diagnose a problem. The sample would have been shipped through the postal service and accompanied by a letter describing the field conditions and any observations that might help determine what corrective measures needed to be taken to alleviate the issues. The handwritten or typed results and recommendations would then be sent back a few weeks later.

For the next couple of decades, soil testing continued to become an increasingly common practice for agricultural producers. However, very little has changed in the submission process. Forms were developed to more efficiently convey the needed information to determine appropriate tests to be done, but it was still a “one at a time” process. Each sample bag had to be manually labeled. It was a time-consuming process.

In the mid 1990’s things began to change with the invention of GPS technology and the development of software to geo-reference soil sampling locations. Along with this technology, the ability to produce submittal forms and sample bag labels was also developed. This greatly saved time and labor as the number of samples per field increased as well as the frequency in which the samples were collected. Through the early 2000’s this became the standard practice for service providers who offered precision soil sampling. However, most production acres were still not utilizing precision agricultural technologies and what soil sampling was done was still utilizing the same submittal process as decades prior.

Over the last ten to twenty years, the adoption of precision ag technology has continued to grow and access to it for growers and service providers of any size has become much more attainable. With growing demand for soil sampling and increasing number of samples, the technology has also evolved to make the submission process to the laboratory more efficient. Today, precision ag software can utilize pre-labeled soil sample bags with QR or bar codes to simply be scanned at the point of sample collection and tie the grower, farm and field information to that uniquely identified bag. When the samples are received at the laboratory, the bar code is simply scanned and all the information that had once been completely hand-written is downloaded in seconds.

With the current abilities of GPS technology, precision ag software, soil sampling and laboratory automation, it has become possible for a field to be soil sampled by a custom soil sampling service with the click of a button without a human hand touching the actual soil samples until it gets unpacked upon receipt at the laboratory. While most soil sampling services still prefer some level of boots on the ground and hands on assurance that they are collecting and shipping good quality soil samples, the technology allowing for nearly autonomous soil sampling and laboratory submission is a reality.

At A&L Great Lakes Laboratories, our position is not to invent new sampling and submission technologies, but to optimize the available technologies so that our customers can effectively utilize the newest products available. We are proud to have a wide range of customers, from home gardeners and wildlife food plot enthusiasts to some of the largest retailers, cooperatives, and most progressive consultants. This means that our goal is to offer the smoothest soil submission process to all our customers regardless of size and technical capabilities. From hand-written notes to a box of QR-coded bags, we strive to provide the same level of service to all.

Late Season Fertilizing for Perennial Landscapes and Gardens

Most growers become excited when the soil begins to thaw, landscapes begin to gain color and the days grow longer.  This is also when many people start to think about their lawn and gardens.  One step to having a successful growing season is ensuring the correct soil fertility is in place for the crops or lawn to grow.  While coming out of hibernation is a fun time to think about this, late summer and fall applications can be very beneficial. 

Some applications made well in advance have a better chance of undergoing certain microbial and chemical changes as they interact with soil/growing mediums.  The first step to late season fertility adjustments is pH.  Once the results from the soil test are received, a plan can be made for adjusting pH from a variety of sources.  For a fall pH adjustment, the liming material will dictate its neutralizing capacity and longevity.  Ag lime, and coarser materials, are perfect for fall applications.  These will have the longest neutralizing capacity and will benefit from incorporation the fall before.

Nitrogen is not recommended for late season applications.  This applies to all anions or negatively charged compounds.  An exception to this would be elemental sulfur which may take longer to convert to an acidifying form.  Nitrogen will promote vegetation when the plant needs to be transferring energy to the root system.  This will protect the plant’s growing point below freezing temperatures and store enough energy to grow the following season.

Manure applications can be made in the late fall as soil temperatures start to decline, and the plants are dormant.  Manure, along with other applications, should be incorporated into the soil.  This will decrease surface runoff and bind certain forms of nutrients.  For perennial plants, manure applications must be used with caution.  Some manure sources are high in nitrogen and will cause root burn through osmosis.  The concentrations of salts in the fertilizer takes water out of plant roots and leads to dehydration and damage.  It is best to use a composted form or low risk source. 

It is best to address soil nutrients that require long conversion times and stable forms for late season applications.  If larger quantities are recommended, in reference to a soil test, applying half late in the season and half in the spring would be another option.  While in-season applications focus on feeding the plant, another way to view late season applications is building the soil to then feed the plants the next season as soil temperatures increase and biological/chemical processes increase. 

It's Time To Start Thinking About Fall Soil Sampling Supplies

As the hot, humid days of summer begin to shorten, it is a reminder that fall is not too far away we will soon be into harvest and soil sampling seasons. One way to help prepare for the busy season is to have your sampling supplies ordered in advance.

Customers who are accustomed to ordering sampling supplies from the store on our website may have recently noticed that the store feature is no longer available. However, supplies can still be ordered online in the ALGL Client Portal and can only be accessed by existing ALGL account holders who have created a portal login. If you have not done so yet, please visit our article for First Time Login Instructions. In order to create a portal login, you must use an email address that is associated with your ALGL business account. Any credentials associated with the former online store are no longer valid.

When using your portal store access there are a few things to keep in mind to make sure you are getting the supplies that you expect. First, the quantities of both sample bags and shipping boxes are for individual items, not cases or bundles. For example, if you are accustomed to ordering 3 cases of soil bags, you will need to enter 3,000 sample bags since they come 1,000 to the case. The same applies to shipping boxes. Depending on size, our boxes come pre-bundled in quantities of 15 or 25. So, if you would like to order 3 bundles of large boxes, you will need to enter 75 as your quantity.

When ordering UPS return service labels, be sure to select the appropriate label for the boxes that you will be shipping. There are 2 components to selecting the labels, the size or dimensions of the box and will it be used for plant or soil samples to determine the approximate weight. You will also have the option to print your own UPS shipping labels in the ALGL Client Portal. Click here for directions.

If you are not a fan of ordering online or do not have internet access when you remember to order supplies, you are still welcome to call or email lab. You can call, text, or email your ALGL Sales Agronomist as well. We will be glad to get those orders placed for you.

Printing UPS Labels from the ALGL Client Portal

UPS labels for use with the ALGL UPS Shipping Program have historically only been printed at the lab and shipped to you. With the new ALGL Client Portal you can print these labels directly from the portal. This is not designed to replace the pre-printed labels from the lab, rather a tool to access labels for printing in the event you do not have the label you need when it is time to ship samples.

After logging into the ALGL Client Portal, select “UPS Portal Access” from the menu. Click here if you need help logging in for the first time. Only those emails associated with an ALGL business account on file are active within the portal.

Drying Soil Samples - Still a Standard?

Wet soil sampling is not a new concept.  No, this does not mean sampling a wet field or placing mud into a sampling bag.  This is in reference to analyzing nutrient values from a certain amount of soil to represent a much larger area.  A well-known fact about soil is the variability it can hold.  Whether this be different types of clay, topographies, climates or soil moisture.  One way to eliminate some variability, and inconsistencies, is to eliminate one variable in the sample.

Once a sample is received at the lab, it must go through a preparation period before analysis.  In short, for a standard soil sample analysis, the soil sample bag is referenced and logged in then transferred to a breathable container on drying racks.  At A&L Great Lakes Laboratories, these racks are placed in a custom drying room.  These drying conditions never exceed 104 degrees Fahrenheit.  This ensures certain extractable figures such as potassium and pH are not affected.

The sample is cross referenced for sample ID etc. then ready for the grinder.  To get a homogenized sample after the grinder, it must be uniformly dried.  Then it is processed through a sieve to remove larger materials such as rocks or other debris.  The result before analysis is a representative soil sample with no physical inconsistencies.  This is paramount to the next step of “scooping”.  By taking a volumetric scoop of the soil, consistency is needed.

This seems like a lot of work for the lab when some new technologies are providing nutrient analysis with wet soil samples.  There are several key factors that warrant a dry sample before the extractions can be conducted.  A standard moisture content creates a repeatable process for samples.  Wet soil sampling can be done for certain extractions, but without a standard moisture content, it can be inconsistent depending on environmental conditions, soil types and sampling depths. 

Drying creates a stable sample.  With a wet sample some biological and chemical reactions are still occurring.  Soil is alive, and this does not change once it is cored from the field and is placed in a bag.  Soil microbial processes require moisture to continue.  By drying the sample, these natural conversions are halted especially for nitrogen analysis. 

A solid foundation of agronomy is understanding patterns.  Patterns require consistency, and sound agronomic advice starts at the beginning, with the soil.  To better understand soils and application techniques, an average is calculated.  Then a trend can be set from a larger data set to make the best economic and environmental fertility decisions.

Don’t Chase Impossible Plant Tissue Levels

Plant tissue testing is helpful for monitoring fertilizer inputs and diagnosing visual deficiency symptoms. However, tissue test reports should not be treated as a report card. It is not possible to get straight A’s or high ratings on every nutrient. Depending on the uptake mechanism and role of the nutrient in the plant, it is not possible for plants to accumulate excesses of most essential nutrients. The sufficiency ranges, or normal ranges, that the ratings are based on are determined from levels observed in average, healthy-looking plants.

In a high fertility soil under good growing conditions, the most likely nutrients to be rated high are nitrogen and potassium. These nutrients can be taken up through mass flow, which means the plant can accumulate the nutrients dissolved in the soil solution. A high rating for these nutrients is generally an indicator of adequate fertility and good growing conditions.

The primary role of phosphorus in a plant is energy transfer for converting primary photosynthates into structural components of the plant. Phosphorus exists in relatively low concentrations in the soil solution and is taken up through root interception and diffusion. These uptake mechanisms require more energy than mass flow, so there is no benefit for the plant to take up more phosphorus than necessary. A high or very high rating is not commonly seen for phosphorus.

The primary role of magnesium is building chlorophyl molecules and calcium is for building structural components of cell walls. Both nutrients are taken up through root interception. Plants generally have access to much more of these elements than they need, but do not take up more in normal growing conditions. The exception is during drought stressed conditions. Plants will accumulate excess magnesium to help fill the role of potassium when potassium uptake is hindered.

In general, micronutrients will not accumulate in excess in healthy plants. High level ratings of micronutrients often indicate a stunted or stressed plant. Most micronutrients such as iron, manganese, zinc, are immobile in plant tissue. So, as a stressed plant begins to cannibalize itself, the immobile nutrients are left in the necrotic tissues in higher concentrations.

High yielding environments can result in very unusual tissue test results. Often, most of the nutrients in these situations are rated as low. This is a result of the nutrients essentially being diluted throughout the massive amount of biomass being produced but does not necessarily indicate a deficiency.

A plant tissue test report on its own is of little value without additional observation and information. However, when used as part of a complete scouting and nutrient management program, it can help provide insight into factors that we cannot visually diagnose.