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Little River, TX | Here I have not paid for, asked for, nor used recommendations for 20 years.
Twenty years ago an honest soils man told me his Lab had no yield response data from my location and any recommendations would be a SWAG. Midwest Labs, to their credit, agrees.
I pay for their very basic soil test. For a few years I have asked for, & paid extra for percent free lime. My soil is calcareous and we have tons & tons of lime to the acre.
I about have the CEC values established. I have collected at least three (3) measured CEC values per field, some with as many as 9 (at $40 each). I use an average of the values. On the fields with 9 some have the high and low discarded and the remainder averaged. If my CEC values were 20 or less I would not bother but I have tow soil types one has roughly a 40 mea/100g & the other a 50 meq/100g CEC value.
These CEC values times a magic number establishes an adjusted goal for K & Mg. It does it for calcium also, but my soil Ca test results are always higher than even the adjusted base lines. (CEC X 140 to 160 = adjusted Critical to Sufficient ranges.) | |
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Soil Testing
