Organic Soil & Tissue Testing

Knowledge is Power

Take away the guesswork with accurate testing.

Soil Mineral/Nutrient Analysis

OFS Soil Analysis provides the basis for managing soil efficiently and providing nutrients for your crop. It is the first step towards biological farming, maximising soil biological activity, building soil structure, addressing field limitations and nutritional demands of future crops.

The OFS Soil Analysis is a comprehensive analysis including soil minerals (Ca, Mg, K, Na), pH, EC, organic carbon, cation exchange capacity, chloride available P & K, S, B, Cu, Fe, Zn, Mn, Total C, Total N & Total P.

Our Soil Reports can give you full organic or integrated recommendations.

If you would like us to provide sustainable recommendations on your current soil results, email us with your results (no charge for this service).

Tissue Analysis

One simple cost-effective way of ensuring the nutrients in the soil are being absorbed by the plant in appropriate levels is to analyse the plant tissue every year.

If taken at an appropriate time in the growing season this analysis combined with our expert interpretation will give growers peace of mind regarding the nutritional health of their crop.

Our Plant Tissue Analysis determines if the chosen fertiliser program is adequately providing the crop nutrients it requires and fine-tunes fertiliser inputs in the current season.

Call us for current costs.

Predict nutrient problems before they cause production losses.

Soil Testing

Building soils for better crops

OFS soil tests provide the basis for managing soil efficiently. It is designed to help build soil structure, address field limitations and meet nutritional needs for future crops; and will show growers:

  • How to balance the soil pH within the range 6.5-7.5; this delivers ideal conditions for root
    growth and soil microbial activity.
  • Details on fertilizer requirements for optimum growth of specific crops. Natural fertilizers
    are recommended over synthetic ones for their environmental benefits and long term
    sustainability.
  • Trace elements required to overcome deficiencies.

Providing ideal conditions in the soil and using the best products to achieve this, optimises growth potential and the health of the crop.

Soil testing is the most economical way to manage soil and meet the nutritional needs of crops.

It identifies the current level of minerals and nutrients in the soil. Our reports then use this information to determine the required fertilizer inputs to meet nutritional needs for future crops.

In this way growers only add what the soil needs in order to maximise yields, which is not only economical but environmentally responsible.

Organic and Sustainable Recommendations

Our unique service provides organic and/or sustainable recommendations depending on needs.

Our aim is to help growers achieve well balanced, nutrient rich, biologically active soils so they can maximise yields and minimise disease risk and stress to plants.

Comprehensive Soil Analysis - what we test for:

  • Albrecht Style mineral balance (base saturation %)
  • CEC, calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), sodium (Na), hydrogen (exchangeable
    acidity), aluminium (Al - if pH<5)
  • Organic carbon, pH (in water and CaCl2), EC, chloride.
  • Major Elements - Available nitrogen (nitrate - N, ammonium - N), available phosphorus
    (Colwell), phosphorus retention index (PRI), sulphate - S
  • Trace Elements - Zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), boron (B)
  • Total N & P (optional) - Provides the level of N and P that may be released from soil by
    biological activity.

Soil Testing is a cost effective way to optimise yields.

Plant Tissue Testing

Optimising fertilizer inputs and maximising yields and returns

One simple cost-effective way of ensuring the nutrients in the soil are being absorbed by the plant in appropriate levels is to analyse the plant tissue every year.

If taken at an appropriate time this analysis combined with our expert interpretation will give growers peace of mind regarding the nutritional health of their crop.

Plant Tissue Analysis allows the grower to determine if the chosen fertilizer program is adequate and provides the opportunity to fine-tune the fertilizer inputs in the current season.

Predict nutrient problems before they cause production losses.

Our plant tissue reports provide the following information:

  • Details on fertilizer requirements for optimum growth of specific crops.
  • Natural fertilizers are recommended over synthetic ones for their environmental
    benefits and long term sustainability.
  • Trace elements required to overcome deficiencies.
  • Suggestions to help alleviate problems in future seasons.

Organic and Sustainable Recommendations

We can provide organic or integrated recommendations so growers can clearly see what needs to be added to maximise yields.

Join the growing group of farmers who utilize our plant tissue analysis to optimise their fertilizer inputs and returns.

Plant tissue analysis - what we test for

Total nitrogen (N-%), phosphorus (P-%), potassium (K-%), sulphur (S-%), sodium (Na-%), calcium (Ca-%), magnesium (Mg-%), chloride (Cl-%), copper (Cu-ppm), zinc (Zn-ppm), manganese (Mn-ppm), iron (Fe-ppm), nitrate-N (ppm), boron (B-ppm).

Includes analysis and agronomist interpretation of results - either organic or integrated.

Crop Time of Sampling

Best times for tissue sampling for a range of crops.

Vegetables

Brassica Broccoli 4 weeks after transplant
Cabbage 4 weeks after transplant
Cauliflower 4 weeks after transplant
Cucurbits Cucumber 4-6 weeks after seeding
Melon 4-6 weeks after seeding
Leaf Vegetables Celery 4 weeks after transplant
Lettuce 4 weeks after transplant
Root Vegetables Carrots 1-3cm root diameter
Potato 6 weeks after planting
Onion 4 weeks after transplant

Fruit

Citrus All January to March
Grape Vines Wine Flowering, November to December
Table Flowering, November to December
Pome Fruits Apple January to February
Pear January to February
Stone Fruit Apricot January to February
Cherry January to February
Nectarine January to February
Peach January to February
Plum January to February