Phase 1 Soil Test Results
Phase 1 soil test looked at identifying the soil type and readily available nutrients for a certain land use. As soils are made up of sand, silt, and clay, the test first determines the ratio of sand to silt to clay. This is an important starting point for understanding compaction and drainage issues. The test also looked at how much organic matter was present in the soil. This is extremely important as organic matter is what feeds the life in the soil. The life in the soil is what unlocks the nutrients that are present in the soil but not in a form that is readily available to plants. This is a source we would want to see a good result on because the more habitat for soil biodiversity, the more nutrients can be unlocked and made available to plants.
The EIP soil test looked at what the land is used for (e,g, sheep, cattle, tillage, horticulture) and the results reflect the readily available nutrients required for that purpose. Bridgi’s soil type is shallow, well-drained mineral soils and blanket bog on higher ground. Her land use is sheep, so the results are read for that target.
Bridgi’s organic matter was 9.7%, not bad, but room for improvement. Her readily available nutrients were deficient reading slightly low, low, and poor. Bridgi is now using nature to remediate her soils by increasing the organic matter in the soil to feed good bacteria and fungi. They will get to work and unlock the not readily available nutrients in her soil and make them available to the grass and plants. Stay tuned for EIP phase 2 soil test results, which will look at what bacteria and fungi are present in her soil and how she can go about feeding them so they feed her plants.
Phase 2 Soil Test Results
Soil samples looked at soil respiration (mg/kg ), C: N ratio, active carbon ( mg/kg ), available nitrogen, and ammonium nitrogen.
Biological Test Results
The biological testing looked at the beneficial microorganisms, fungi (ug/g), bacteria (ug/g), actinobacteria, and fungal: bacteria relationship.