As one Defra agency appears to be finally learning the painful lessons of IT rollouts gone wrong, another seems to have walked into the same trap. Have confidence in the lab results
SOIL analysis results for phosphorus, potassium, pH and magnesium can be used with renewed confidence after evidence laboratory practices are fit for purpose and closely aligned, says the Agricultural Industries Confederation.
Following the creation of an independent proficiency testing (PT) scheme by the industry for the industry last year to compare results between testing laboratories, 13 UK soil labs have joined forces to form the Professional Agricultural Analysis Group (PAAG) and create a soil PT process for routine soil analysis of phosphorus, potassium, pH and Mg.
Testing results have been aggregated to produce the first of a series of annual reports that will track trends in soil analysis data.
Caution
The collaborative industry group on nutrient management issues, which includes AIC, CLA, FWAG, LEAF and NFU, says the initial results published at www.nutrientmanagement.org/ x129.xml should be treated with caution. While they provide a useful indicator they are not representative of all UK fields.
Results show 29 per cent of samples were at target Indices of 2 for P and 2- for K. Some 27 per cent of samples were below target Index for P and 38 per cent were below target Index for K. Some 16 per cent of samples were in Mg Indices 0 or 1 where application of magnesium might be recommended for some crops.