Soil Testing Basics for Ranchers  

Soil testing may not be high on your list of to-dos, but it’s necessary for understanding where soil health is at a given point in time and to measure improvement after implementing changes.  

And while you may think you can skip soil testing, the small amount of time and energy to do it is cheaper than investing in the wrong soil treatment.  

Here are the basic steps to follow to soil test properly from the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, Beef Quality Assurance, The National Grazing Lands Coalition, and the USDA:

1. Contact a state or local extension office to find out where to submit soil for testing and download the necessary forms.
2. Pick a nice day and a pasture that doesn’t seem to be performing well.
3. Gather supplies: a soil probe, a small pipe or small shovel and a plastic bucket to collect the samples.
4. Stroll across the pasture. Stop occasionally to gather soil samples. Collect the top 6 inches of soil. Nutrient levels are higher in the upper part of soil, so collecting less than 6 inches will show higher nutrient levels, while more than 6 inches will show less. Both will make it harder to know what’s happening and suggest improvements. Take the sample and remove all of the
   above ground plant material and/or thatch and dump it in the bucket.
5. After collecting 15 to 20 samples, mix it up in the bucket.
6. Fill a zip-style sandwich bag with a softball-sized scoop from the 15- to 20-sample mix. This representative sample will provide better results.
7. Fill out the soil testing lab’s form. Mention this area is being used as a pasture to obtain the right
   recommendations. Don’t forget to write down the name or number of the sampled field so results can match the right location.
8. Write your check, post the sample(s) and form(s) and wait for results.
9. After receiving results, call the local extension agent or the number listed on the test results with questions.

Download Simplifying The Soil Testing Process For Profit for these tips in a practical one-page guide to get started. Watch this AgPhD Farm Basics video on how to pull soil samples to ensure you’re doing it right.