Correct sampling is essential to obtain valuable data on your soils. If you do not want to take the sample yourself, our partners from the Maschinenring will be happy to help you.
Terra Laboratory
Soil Analysis for Farmers
For more than 40 years, we have been providing farmers with highly detailed soil analysis. Our success is based on 5 pillars:
- Philosophy
Fertilise the soil, not the plant.
- Soil analysis
Detailed and affordable soil analysis
- Service
Analysis results in 7 working days
- Collaboration
Free consulting
- Innovation
Constant research & further development
Soil Analysis
Nutrient Content & Soil Dynamics
Our Philosophy
The soil is a complex, dynamic ecosystem that can bind added nutrients (fertilisers) and release bound nutrients. It is, therefore, crucial to fertilise the soil - not the plant.
The availability of nutrients depends on the dynamics of the binding and releasing processes in the soil. Nutrient reserves in the ground can pass quickly OR slowly into the soil solution (soil water). The plant's roots can only absorb the nutrients dissolved in the soil water.
With our soil analysis, we map these nutrient dynamics. However, this is only possible if we determine at least 2 fractions for each element - one easily soluble and one reserve fraction. For this reason, we define two to three nutrient fractions for the elements Ca (calcium), Mg (magnesium), K (potassium), P (phosphorus) and B (boron).
The binding and releasing processes can be chemical, biological, and physical and depend on specific soil properties. These, in turn, rely on the texture, organic carbon content, pH value, reactive carbonate content and many other factors.
Felderer routinely records these parameters. The reactive lime content has a significant formative influence on the soil's chemistry and thus determines nutrient availability (especially of P and the trace elements). In addition, the mutual nutrient ratios play an essential role as elements compete with each other (antagonism) or can support mutual uptake in the plant.
The cations K, Mg, Ca, and Na (sodium) are particularly important for the plant and fundamentally influence soil structure and organic carbon formation. Calcium is the major cation in the soil in terms of quantity and is essential for soil structure and accumulation of organic carbon in soil - but is often not measured in conventional routine analyses. At Felderer, we also measure two soil fractions of calcium and can thus estimate its influence on competing elements.
With our soil analysis, we record the soil dynamics (24 parameters) to receive total values for the sustainable management of your soils. Along with this, we offer you an accurate fertiliser recommendation to get the best out of your soil. From our report, you can also easily read the information that a conventional VDLUFA analysis would provide.
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Illustration of Our Soil Analysis
Let's take potassium and phosphorus to illustrate the dynamics versus content: heavy and medium soils can have high potassium reserves, but their solubility is limited. A fact conventional analysis cannot capture, as that usually only measures the potassium reserve.
At Felderer, however, we also measure the soluble potassium. Thus, we can estimate the soil's supply capacity from the ratio between soluble and reserve potassium, influencing the amount of fertiliser needed. Still, it also allows us to determine the ideal time for fertilising (autumn or spring) and its perfect distribution in time.
A similar situation often occurs with phosphorus in calcareous and soils poor in organic Carbon. Even with a very high content of P-reserves, the actual availability of the nutrient can be minimal. Added P-fertiliser is precipitated as calcium phosphate and thus immobilized in the soil. This can only be seen by measuring the soluble P in addition to the P-reserve - as we do at Felderer. There is no doubt that this influences the timing and type of fertiliser to be applied.
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Downloads
Accompanying forms and example of a soil analysis report
Download the soil sample form, fill in the blanks, sign it and send it together with the soil sample.
Herein you find also an an example of a soil analysis report and a help for interpretation
Correct Sampling
First, fill out the form required for the samples
Take the sample and put it into the sample bag
Send the soil sample or hand it in at the authorised collection points
Sampling
Step-by-step Instructions
If you do not have a soil sampler, Felderer will be happy to provide you with one for a small deposit of €20.
Take 15 to 20 subsamples on a homogeneous area
Combine the sub-samples in a container and mix well
Put approx. 400 g of the mixed soil mass into a sample bag
Label the sample bag with a waterproof pen
Ship the sample bag with a courier or drop it off at an authorised collection point
Authorised Collection Points & Sample Shipping
Throughout South Tyrol, there are authorised collection points for soil samples. All you have to do is fill in an accompanying form and attach it to the soil sample (The accompanying form is the same as the one mentioned above under "Form"). You can also send the sample directly to our Laboratory FELDERER at Lana.
Partners & Network
Since our soil analyses build upon scientific data and the subject, in general, requires constant and in-depth study, we cooperate with various institutions at different levels. In this way, we achieve an optimisation of the analyses and better cooperation with our customers.
Beratungsring Berglandwirtschaft (BRING)
We are in constant contact with BRING advisors and regularly exchange technical information to continuously provide best practices. Together with BRING, we review new analysis models and validate their relevance to methodology.
Free University of Bolzano (Unibz)
We cooperate with Prof. Tanja Mimmo, lecturer in analytical chemistry and soil chemistry and fertility, in the context of various scientific studies.
Bioland Südtirol & ARGE Südtirol
There is a continuous and lively professional exchange with the advisors and people in charge to meet the needs of organic cultivation.
Agricultural retailers
Practically every agricultural retailer in South Tyrol accepts your soil sample and forwards it to our laboratory.
Südtiroler Maschinenring
The Südtiroler Maschinenring is part of our active partner network: on request, sampling experts ring will come to you and take a sample for your soil analysis.
Südtiroler Beratungsring
Together with the Südtiroler Beratungsring, we have adapted the Felderer analysis report so that it can be read and interpreted by advisors who are familiar with the VDLUFA method.
