SPRINGFIELD, Illinois – There’s a reason why advances in soil sampling technology are flying at us left and right: manure.
There were a number of new soil sampling machines on display at the recent InfoAg conference in Illinois.
When asked why these machines are now in such a competitive market, the consensus of the manufacturer representatives was, “a bunch of manure.”
Stricter environmental regulations in the United States dictate that all farmland receiving either injected or broadcast manure must be soil sampled regularly.
Read Also
Growing garlic by the thousands in Manitoba
Grower holds a planting party day every fall as a crowd gathers to help put 28,000 plants, and sometimes more, into theground
Depending on the jurisdiction, farmland must be sampled every two or four years.
It must be sampled on a 2.5 acre grid or a four acre grid.
When it comes to core depths, the regulation range includes eight, 12, 18 and 24 inches.
“Soil sampling is no longer an option. It’s required,” said a spokesperson for one soil sampling machine maker. “It used to be just the guys who wanted to improve their farm performance, but now it’s every producer who spreads manure.”
Jeff Burton of AgRobotics said sampling was once a painful, time consuming, tedious task.
“But when people see the new technology at work, they realize it’s not as bad as they thought.
“And once they realize this, they’re more open to managing manure as a valuable input instead of a nuisance.”
———
none
