Differences between soil tests in showing nutrient deficiencies

Artichle: Do different agronomic soil tests identify similar nutrient deficiencies?

Authors: Mattila, Tuomas & Rajala, Jukka

Publication: Soil Use and Management

Year: 2021

This study compared five commercially available soil tests, which evaluate soil nutrient levels. In total, 24 fields in Western Finland were sampled for 4 years while being treated with fertilizers, lime and  manure. The different tests extracted different orders of magnitude of nutrients, but the results of the tests correlated with each other, i.e. the results were relatively similar. However, the tests showed different deficiencies in nutrients. The determination of nutrient deficiencies needs local calibration of deficiency limits. These tests should only be used as supplementary information, and they do not replace plant cell tests.