Experts stress soil fertility analysis

Results to help farmers adopt measures to boost crop yield

MULTAN:

Agriculture experts have advised farmers to get their soil samples analysed from laboratories set up at the district level to enable them prepare the land in accordance with the crop needs for obtaining a higher yield.

In a statement issued by media liaison unit of Punjab agriculture department, the experts said that soil analysis could unveil necessary information like salinity, crop access to nitrogen and micronutrients including potash, zinc, boron, as well as presence of organic material, PH value of soil and availability of gypsum.

This useful information can help farmers apply only the needed quantity of fertilisers and micronutrients, while adopting adequate measures to get good production results.

Giving tips about the analysis, the experts said that farmers should collect samples from different parts of the field and then mix them to get a compound sample.

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They said that cotton farmers should dig down to 30cm depth, collect five to 25 samples from a field and then mix all these to get a compound sample.

This compound sample, upon analysis, can reveal average fertility of the land. Farmers should first prepare a map of the field showing all details prominently.

Samples should be collected from places away from roads, trees, heaps of fertilisers and houses. Samples of saline areas should be collected separately.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 8^th, 2021.