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Agriculture vocabulary · Plant Nutrition and Fertilizers

Soil analysis

Meaning in agriculture, with examples

nounCommon term

In agriculture, soil analysis means: A laboratory test of soil samples that measures nutrients, pH, organic matter, lime, salinity and texture, used as the basis for fertilizer recommendations.

In Turkish: toprak analizi, toprak tahlili

How it is used

Also called 'soil testing' or a 'soil test'. Farmers take samples, send them to a lab and receive a soil analysis report with recommendations. Advisers say fertilizer should be planned 'according to soil analysis'.

Example sentences

  1. According to the soil analysis, the field is low in phosphorus but rich in potassium.

  2. We repeat the soil analysis every three years on each field.

Common collocations

  • soil analysis report
  • send samples for soil analysis
  • soil test results
  • based on soil analysis
  • soilThe loose upper layer of the earth, made of minerals, organic matter, water and air, in which plants grow and take up water and nutrients.
  • soil pHA measure of how acidic or alkaline a soil is, on a scale from 0 to 14; it affects which nutrients plants can take up.
  • NPKNitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), the three main plant nutrients; also the three numbers on a fertilizer bag that show how much of each it contains.
  • fertilizerA natural or manufactured substance added to soil or plants to supply nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and increase growth.
  • soil fertilityThe ability of a soil to supply plants with the nutrients, water and conditions they need to grow well and give good yields.

More terms: Plant Nutrition and Fertilizers

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