Indiana offering free soil sampling to Hoosier farmers
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The Indiana State Department of Agriculture is seeking applicants for a new soil sampling program.
The program called, Indiana’s Mississippi River Basin Soil Sampling program, is free and seeks to encourage famers to include soil sampling in their plans for nutrient management.
The practice allows farmers to assess soil fertility for a better understanding of which fertilizers to use and what environmental protection steps to take to avoid nutrient loss, ISDA officials say, resulting in more profitable crops.
“Hoosier farmers care deeply about the land and work hard each year to keep their soil healthy,” Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch said in a news release. “This free program is a great way for farmers to test their soil and ensure the proper nutrients are being utilized on their fields.”
The program will cover row crop fields, pastures and specialty crops within Indiana’s part of the Mississippi River Basin. This area includes most of the state except a small portion northwest Indiana and several counties northeast.
Fields that have not been soil samples or not sampled within the last three to four years will be given priority. Hobby gardens and private lawns are not eligible for the sampling.
Paul Hodgen, president of the Indiana Corn Marketing Council and an expert in soil fertility, said the program will allow farmers to better understand their soil and make data-driven decisions.
“Soil testing is a keystone to sustainably producing a crop,” Hodgen said. “This effort will further our goals for nutrient management stewardship across Indiana. This will help us make smarter decisions about where to apply nutrients and to spread that data across more acres.”
Applications for the program are open through April 17. More information can be found at ISDA’s website or by emailing soilsampling@isda.in.gov.