Purpose
This report is the second year final report for this project. The report is a continuation of the project and therefore contains significant background information from the 2015 version.
The push for utilizing Nutrient Management Plans or NASM Plans in respect to the 4R’s is the reality of our future in agriculture. We need to look into soil sampling technologies that support a grower to apply nutrients in a sustainable manner. The goal of this project was to assess new soil sampling technologies that have come to the market in comparison with accepted sampling protocols that we have used for decades within the industry. More specifically, we compared the Soil Information System (SIS) from Trimble Agriculture to the Non-Agriculture Source Material (NASM) Plan soil sampling protocols regulated in the Nutrient Management Act.
Project Objectives
- To assess the potential of new soil sampling technologies and how they compare with current practices as regulated under the Nutrient Management Act.
- To identify the improvements to soil sampling techniques to ensure compliance.
- To provide additional soil management information (physical, chemical and hydrological) and recommendations to the operator/producer which will provide further benefit to their operation.
- To demonstrate emerging soil management technologies to the Soil and Crop members across Ontario.