HOW TO COLLECT SOIL SAMPLES FOR FERTILITY ANALYSIS
Importance
     Soil contains nutrient elements in varying
amounts. These elements usually become in
sufficient when the soil is continuously activated.
Nutrient supplements in the form of fertilizers are
therefore required. The kind and amount of
fertilizer to be applied to the soil can be
determined through (chemical analysis of the soil)
soil testing.
     The main objective of soil sampling is to
collect a small amount of soil samples weighing
about one kilogram that will represent the soil in a
large area. Since only a small amount of soil
sample is used in chemical analysis and results
are projected for a large quantity of soil, the
accuracy of soil testing depends largely on proper
soil sampling.
Procedure:
1. Prepare the following: pail, spade or
shovel, bolo, plastic bags.     four. Remove soil samples 1 and 3 and
2. Divide your farm area according to the
kind of crops grown or to be grown, type of
soil (sandy, clayey or loamy) and
topography (level, flat, sloping and hilly).
Collect soil samples separately from the
different soil unit areas and place them in
separate containers.
3. Brush away stone, rubbish, trash or grass
on the surface of the land. Using the spade,
push it down the surface or topsoil to a
depth of 25 centimeters in a slightly slanting
position (as in "V") and get a soil sample
two (2) centimeters wide and twenty five
(25) centimeters long. Place this in a
container.
4. Get similar samples at random from as
many as ten (10) sites and mix them in a
container. Get a composite soil sample of
about one (1) kilogram to represent the soil
unit area.
Note: A soil unit area is any section of the
farm where the soil type, its topography and
vegetation are more or less similar.
5. For areas to be devoted to orchard, for
instance citrus orchard, get subsoil
samples from below the 25 centimeters
down from where the topsoil sample was
taken. A composite subsoil sample is also
required for fruit trees/permanent crops.
Topsoil:  0 to 25 centimeter depth for
shallow rooted plants like rice, corn and
vegetables.
Sub-soil:  25 to 50 centimeters depth for
fruit trees/permanent crops like coconut.
6. Air-dry the soil samples by spreading
them on clean paper or plastic sheets
under the shade or indoor areas. Be sure
to avoid contaminations among the
samples and keep them away from dirt or
foreign matters especially cigarette ash.
Divide representative soil samples into
retain soil samples 2 and 4. Repeat the
process four times until you obtain one
kilogram.
7. When air-dried, get al least one (1)
kilogram from each composite soil sample
and place it separately in a cloth or
plastic bag. (One-kilo air-dried soil is
equivalent to three (3) cans  of
condensed milk full of soil).
8. Label the bags properly and send them to
BSWM or to the nearest Soil Laboratory.
   
 HOW TO USE THE SOIL TEST KIT
Importance
Soil Test Kit (STK) is an inexperience, quick,
handy and easy to use soil testing tool to evaluate Principle
the fertility status of a soil. It contains chemical
reagents for the on-the-spot determination of pH,
Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium.
Soil testing can be done right in the field and
results are obtained after an hour. The results are
interpreted and used as a basis for making a
recommendation on the right kind and amount of
fertilizer to be applied for a particular crop.
Soil testing using STK refers to quantitative tests
that determine the fertility status of the soil
rapidly. It is handy, effective, economical and
provides information on fertilizer requirements of a
given farm for specific crops.
SOIL pH TEST
Principle
A calibrated quantity of soil is shaken with a
measured volume of indicator dye under consistent
conditions and the pH of the color produced are
then matched with a standard color chart.
Procedure:
1. Fill the test tube with soil sample up to
scratch mark.
2. Add 12 drops of CPR pH indicator dye.
3. Mix by gently swirling the test tube 20
times.
4. Repeat step 3 after about two minutes and
let the test tube stand for five (5) minutes.
5. To get the pH of the soil, match the color
of solution on top of the soil with the
corresponding color chart of pH indicator
dye used.
6. If soil pH is used to  or greater than 6,
repeat steps 1 to 5 using BTB instead of
CPR. However, if soil pH is less than or
equal to 5, repeat steps 1 to 5 using BCG
instead of CPR.
7. Wash the test tube with tap water and
then rise with distilled water.
PHOSPHOROUS TEST
The blue color produced on reduction of the
molybdate complex with a tin foil  was designed for
estimating phosphorous and the color produced are
then matched with a standard color chart.
Procedure :
1. Fill the test tube with soil sample up to the
scratch mark.
2. Add 24 drops (or 1 ml) of solution P and
four (4) drops of solution P1.
3. Mix well by gently swirling the tube for
about one minute.
4. Repeat step 3 after about three (3)
minutes and let the test tube stand for five
(5) minutes.
5. Take one foil or tin strip and wrap it firmly
at one end of the plastic stick.
6. Without disturbing the soil, stir the solution
slowly with the tin strip for one minutes.
Note: The tin strip attached to the plastic
can still be used for another set of four
samples provided that analyses are done
on the same day. Rinse the tin strip with
distilled water after each analysis.
7. Match the blue color intensity of the
solution with color chart below  and take
note if the soil is low, medium, or high in
available phosphorous.
8. Refer to the table on FERTILIZER
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DIFFERENT
CROPS.
9. Wash the test tube with tap water and then
rinse with distilled water.
POTASSIUM TEST
Principle
The appearance of a distinct cloudy yellowish layer
indicates sufficient available potassium and if no
appearance of distinct cloudy yellowish layer on top
of the orange solution, the soil is deficient.
Procedure:
NITROGEN TEST
Principle
For the approximation of nitrogen (soil organic
matter), the yellow color of the excess chromate or
the green color of the reduced reagent are then
matched with a standard color chart.
Procedure :
1. Fill the test tube with soil sample up to the
scratch mark.
2. Add 24 drops (1ml) of solution N.
3. Mix well by gently swirling the test tube 30
times.
4. Repeat step 3 after about five (5) minutes
and let the test tube stand for 30 minutes.
5. Match the color of the resulting solution on
top of the soil with the color chart below
and take note if the soil is low, medium, or
high in available nitrogen.
6. Refer to the table on FERTILIZER
RECOMMENDATION FOR DIFFERENT
CROPS.
7. Wash the test tube with tap water and
then rinse with distilled water.
    
1. Fill the test tube up to the scratch mark
with soil sample.
2. Add 24 drops (or 1 ml) of solution K and
eight (8) drops of solution K1.
3. Mix well by gently swirling the tube for
about one minute.
4. Repeat step 3 after about three (3)
minutes and let stand for five (5) minutes
or until the soil particles have settled at
the bottom of the tube.
5. Add solution K2 as follows:
a. Slowly insert the dropper
containing 0.6 ml of solution K2
inside the test tube so that its tip
is about 2 cm above the solution.
b. Slowly add 12 drops of solution
K@ one drop at a time.
c. DO NOT MIX OR SHAKE THE
SOLUTION.
6. Let it stand for two minutes. The observe
the appearance of a cloudy yellow layer on
top of the orange solution. A DISTINCT
CLOUDY YELLOWISH LAYER indicates that
the soil has SUFFICIENT AVAILABLE
POTASSIUM. There is no need to apply
potassium fertilizer.
7. If NO distinct cloudy yellowish layer
appears on top of the orange solution, the
soil is DEFICIENT in available potassium.
Refer to the table on FERTILIZER
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DIFFERENT
CROPS.

Fertilizer recommendations for field crops based STK analysis

(kilograms per hectare)
Nitrogen (N) Phosphorous (P2O5) Potassium (K2O)
CROPS
Low Medium High Low Medium High Deficient
Cassava 60-100 30-60 0-30 60-100 30-60 0-30 40-100
Corn 60-90 30-60 0-30 25-30 20-25 0-20 20-30
Cotton 50-90 30-50 0-30 20-25 10-20 0-10 10-25
Mungo 40-50 30-40 0-30 30-50 20-30 0-20 20-50
Peanut 25-30 20-25 0-30 30-40 20-30 0-20 20-40
Rice
Wet season 60-90 30-60 0-30 50-60 30-45 0-20 30-45
Dry season 75-120 45-75 0-45 50-60 30-45 0-20 30-60
Sorghum 50-60 30-50 0-30 30-40 20-30 0-20 20-30
Soybean 25-30 20-25 0-20 30-40 20-30 0-20 20-40
Sugarcane 100-170 50-100 0-40 75-120 40-70 0-30 75-240
Tobacco
Burley 25-30 20-25 0-20 40-60 20-40 0-20 30-60
Turkish 10-15 5-10 0-5 25-30 20-25 0-20 20-45
Virginia 15-20 10-15 0-10 25-30 20-25 0-20 30-60
Cigar Filler 25-35 20-25 0-20 50-70 20-50 0-20 30-70
Cigar wrapper 25-35 20-25 0-20 50-70 20-50 0-20 30-70
 HOW TO DETERMINE SOIL TEXTURE BY "FEEL METHOD"
Importance
Soil texture has a direct bearing on the water-
holding capacity of the soil. The percentage of the
different soil separates-sand, silt and clay
determines the size and amount of pore spaces
where water is stored. Soils high in sand have
large pore spaces between the separate particles
and hence water percolates very fast. Therefore,
they have low water-holding capacity but possess
good drainage and aeration. Soils high in clay or
silt, on the other hand, have abundant but very
small pore spaces which account for slow water
and air movement. They can, however, store a
large amount of water.
One way of determining soil texture is through
feel method. It is a quick way of knowing texture
right in the field. In some circumstances, it can
give a better assessment of agricultural properties
necessary for correlation and size-grading studies
to indicate, for example, potential compatibility.
Soil texture also finds its use in the naming of
soils. The name of a soil type consist of the name
of the place it was first described followed by the
soil texture. For example, San Manuel clay loam
means that the texture of this specific soil is clay
loamy and it was first described in San Manuel,
Tarlac.
Procedure:
1. Place about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of soil in
the palm of the hand.
2. Add water slowly, drop by drop from a
water bottle or tap.
3. Feel the mass by rubbing between
fingers.
4. Determine the textural class of the soil by
using the following practical guides:
Sand - loose and single grained. The individual
grains can readily be seen or felt. If squeezed in
the hand when dry, it will fall apart when the
pressure is released. When moist, it will form a
cast but will crumble when touched.
Sandy Loam - contains much sand but which has
enough silt and clay to make it coherent if
squeezed when dry, it will form a cast which will
readily fall apart.When moist, a cast can be
formed that will bear careful handling without
breaking.
Loam - contains even mixture of different grades
of sand, silt, and clay. It is mellow with a
somewhat gritty feel, yet fairly smooth and
slightly plastic. If squeezed when dry it will form a
cast that will bear careful handling. While the cast
formed by squeezing the moist soil can be
handled quite freely without breaking.
Silt Loam - a soil having a moderate amount of
the fine grades of sand and only a small amount
of clay, over half of the particles being of the size
called silt. When dry it may appear quite cloddy
but the lumps can be readily broken and when
pulverized it feels soft, smooth and floury. When
wet, the soil readily runs together and puddles.
Either dry or moist, it will form casts that can be
freely handled without breaking; but when
moistened it will not form a ribbon if squeezed
between the thumb and finger but will give a
broken appearance.
Clay Loam - a fine textured soil the
characteristics of which are midway between silt
loam and clay. If moisture conditions are ideal, it
is possible to form a ribbon when squeezed
between the thumb and the finger
Silty Clayloam - a fine textured soil which breaks
into clods and lumps that are hard to break with
the squeeze of the hand when clods are dry.
When moist soil is pinched between the thumb
and finger, it will form a cast that will bear much
handling. When kneaded in the hand, it does not
crumble readily but tends to work into a heavy,
plastic compact mass.
Clay - a fine textured soil that usually forms very
hard lumps or clods when dry. It is quite plastic
and usually sticky when wet. When the moist soil
is pinched out between the thumb and fingers, it
will form a long flexible ribbon.
Note:  For a more exact determination of soil
texture, soil samples may be submitted for
analysis at the Laboratory Services Division of the
Bureau of Soils and Water Management.
 HOW TO COMPUTE FOR FERTILIZER REQUIREMENT
Importance
In modern agriculture, fertilizer is considered as
the single most important input in increasing crop
yields. And because the fertility of the soil is
depleted continuously with cropping, a soil  Area - One (1) hectare
management practice will not be complete without
replenishing the soil supply of nutrients through
fertilizer application.
There are three basic recommendations in the use
of fertilizers of crop production: (1) know the
nutrient requirement of the crop, (2) choose the
right kind of fertilizer to apply, and (3) know the
amount of fertilizer to apply.
Fertilizer recommendations are usually given in
terms of kilogram N1, P2O5 and K2O per hectare.
To compute for the fertilizer need of a given crop
in a given area, follow the procedures below:
Procedure:
1. Be familiar with the following:
a. Fertilizer materials and their
corresponding grades: Examples:
Urea (46-0-0) Ammophos (16-20-0)
Complete (14-14-14). The numerals
represents the percent composition of N1,
P2O5 and K2O
b. Recommended rate based on soil analysis
Example: 60-30-30
c. Fertilizer computation formula Examples:
Amount of fertilizer material (kg/ha) =
recommended rate/fertilizer grade x100.
2. Use the formula.
Given:
Recommended rate - 60-30-30
Available fertilizer material - complete (14-14-14)
and Urea (46-0-0)
Step 1:
Compute for the lowest recommended rate using
complete fertilizer.
30/14 x 100 = 214kg complete (14-14-14)
Note that when you apply 214 kg of complete
fertilizer you satisfy the 30-30-30
recommendation.Therefore, 60-30-30 minus 30-30-
30 equals 30-0-0. This means we still have to
satisfy the 30 kg N. Using urea this time, we have:
30/46 x 100 = 65 kg Urea (46-0-0)
To convert kg to bags, we simply divide the amount
by 50.
How and When to Apply Fertilizer
Depending on specific purpose, fertilizer application
may be in the form of broadcasting, sidedressing,
band or localized, foliar, with the seed or through
fertigation. In general, fertilizer should be applied at
the time when plants need it most. Critical periods
are the vegetative and reproductive stages. Thus,
for most crops, one-half of the recommended N and
all the P and K should be applied basally and the
remaining N immediately before the reproductive
stage.
Note:
This generalized timing of fertilizer application must
be evaluated with existing climate, soil type and the
specific crop grown. Please consult your local
technician.