Abstract
Abstract The development and current status in South Africa of soil and plant analysis for fertilizer advisory purposes is reviewed. Data obtained from governmental and private laboratories indicate that from 1966 to 1992 the number of soil and plant samples analysed annually increased by approximately 180 % and 470 %, respectively. Plant analyses increased exponentially, but countrywide analysis of soil samples has not increased since 1982. An inadequate soil test calibration base in many parts of the country, a scarcity of soil fertility researchers, and extractant and procedural differences among laboratories are considered to have been largely responsible. Advisory laboratories in those regions supported by ongoing field research programmes have shown continual growth in analytical output and farmer demand. In these areas, the intensity of soil sampling compares favourably with that in developed countries, but in other important cropping areas the intensity of sampling has stabilized at about 90 ha sa...
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
