WARD Labs Soil Health Assessment

Ward Laboratories, Inc. is now offering a new Soil Health Assessment (SHA) package. SHA uses the same biological indicator and nitrogen evaluation as other soil health analyses but has been expanded to use correlated and calibrated methods for other nutrients to improve fertility management and nutrient use efficiency.

This test combines the latest in soil science, ensuring that both soil fertility and soil health are viewed through a single test, helping farmers and researchers measure and manage soil health without compromising productivity. Microbial activity and food sources are evaluated to provide data that enhances operations while also evaluating nutrients in a manner that is widely accepted by Land Grant University correlations and calibrations.

This new package also includes modified aggregate stability. With this addition, the new Soil Health Assessment offers two biological, one chemical and one physical indicator of soil health.
The Routine SHA measures the following:

• CO2 Respiration 
• Water Extractable Organic C & Organic N 
• Nitrate and Ammonium 
• Organic Matter, pH, Electrical Conductivity, Soluble Salt 
• Mehlich 3 S 
• Appropriate P Extract (Mehlich 3, Bray P-1 or Olsen) 
• K, Ca, Mg, Na (Ammonium Acetate Extract) 
• Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu (DTPA Extract) 
• Calculated Health Score 
• Modified Aggregate Stability 

The Routine Soil Health Assessment strives to reinforce Ward Laboratories’ commitment to fostering the growth of a soil health program that meets customers where they are at.  Measuring chemical, biological, and physical properties of soil using the Routine SHA helps to create clear measurements for our customers to continue moving forward in their soil health journey.