Soil School: Digging in to the Soil Test Manager app

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Finding soil fertility recommendations for different crops can be time-consuming and hard to pin down. A new app that is simple and quick to use provides tremendous value by bringing soil fertility recommendations for different crops — both field and vegetable — all to one place.

“In terms of the Soil Test Manager app, it’s really focusing on the accredited soil tests for Ontario,” says Jake Munroe, soil management specialist for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, in this episode of Soil School. “That includes phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, pH, of course, and a couple of the micronutrients, zinc and manganese,” adds Munroe.

The app, developed in partnership with Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association, is intended to assist producers in understanding their fertility recommendations based on soil test results, as well as providing information on best management practices for nutrient management.

Watch the video in full to see the app in action. Story continues below.

Results from inputing your soil test results and getting a soil fertility recommendation can be displayed in metric or imperial and can even be sent straight to your email inbox. The app also features a 4R tool with a rating system on the best management practices for the nutrient application timing and method for nitrogen and phosphorus.

“The Soil Test Manager app provides lots of opportunities to play around with different crops, but ultimately it’s a snapshot and it’s a single soil test result at a time,” says Munroe, “so it’s meant to be a quick tool to use to get a second opinion, or just confirm the recommendation you’ve been given,” he adds.

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