|
Chesley, Ontario | There are a lot of different things that could be going on, Pat. If the landlord was looking at problem spots, it could very well be that there are areas where the fertility is lower (although it is not as common as you would expect that fertility turns out to be the problem). The labs could have been using different extractants, so you get different numbers, or one lab could be reporting in ppm while the other is reporting in lb/ac. The labs could be using the same extractants, and getting roughly the same numbers, and applying different interpretations (I have seen ratings for 100 ppm K ranging from high to very low, depending on lab). Or, the labs may actually be producing different numbers.
Ask the lab how well they are performing on the NAPT sample exchanges. If they don't know what you are talking about, that is a good reason to switch to a different lab. By the way, it is normal to expect variation in the analysis of a particular sample, so each lab could be within 10% of the mean value and still be "correct", even though they are 20% apart. Most labs will be nearer the average on most of their samples. | |
|
Soil Test results from different labs
