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10 Million euro Soil Sampling Programme.

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    #242
    tellmeabit
    Registered Users Posts: 970 ✭✭✭tellmeabit


    Who would one follow up with this? Is it up to the guys collecting the samples or the dept as to whom was tested?

    Applied the day opened and accepted asap.



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    #243
    straight
    Registered Users Posts: 4,844 ✭✭✭straight


    I take it all back...

    I got my results this evening and am very happy with them. When I took over here 5 years ago the whole place was run down and now all the indexes are vastly improved. Great to see all my effort and investment paid off.



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    #244
    farawaygrass
    Registered Users Posts: 1,937 ✭✭✭farawaygrass


    What’s the difference between the two ph results, and which one would one have traditionally been used for soil sampling?

    in the ph smp column I have a result of 6.1 but it says lime is still required at 2.5 t /ha



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    #245
    Jb1989
    Registered Users Posts: 2,477 ✭✭✭Jb1989


    On that chart 6.6 seems to be the sweet spot.

    6.5 and under requires various amounts of lime.



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    #246
    patsy_mccabe
    Registered Users Posts: 10,806 ✭✭✭✭patsy_mccabe


    Ah lads, something wrong here. I got my soil test results today and one field they tested, just doesn't make sense. It's the only field I haven't spread lime on in the last 20 years. It's away on it's own so some bit neglected. Tested it in 2014 and the PH then was 4.9 with index 1 for P and index 1 for K. Now the results show PH 7.2. P at index 3 and K at index 3.

    What the hell? I know it needs loads of lime and P & K are low too.

    'If I ventured in the slipstream, Between the viaducts of your dream'



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    #247
    Jim_11
    Registered Users Posts: 64 ✭✭Jim_11


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119049125#Comment_119049125

    Get it tested yourself, at least you’ll be sure then



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    #248
    patsy_mccabe
    Registered Users Posts: 10,806 ✭✭✭✭patsy_mccabe


    I'm convinced now he mixed up 2 field samples. These would have been the last 2 fields he did too. I spread 3 tonne/acre of lime in the other field 2 years ago, so that would explain the PH of 7.2. The P K indices would tie in with fertiliser spread in recent years too. Just goes to show.

    'If I ventured in the slipstream, Between the viaducts of your dream'



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    #249
    blue5000
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,667 Mod ✭✭✭✭blue5000


    Hopefully he hasn’t mixed up another farm with your farm Patsy😏. In with teagasc doing my bps form yesterday and he was saying P&K levels seem to be higher this year as well. I don’t knew do I smell a rat yet or are they genuinely up a bit because of more biological soil activity due to higher soil temperatures last winter?

    Still waiting on mine to come back, did anyone get carbon results yet? Advisor was saying carbon was higher than they expected too. I did a field that was in continuous tillage about 10 years ago and it was 9%, it’s been in grass for about 6 years now so I am curious about how much carbon is in it now.

    If the seat's wet, sit on yer hat, a cool head is better than a wet ar5e.



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    #250
    manjou
    Registered Users Posts: 379 ✭✭manjou


    Got mine back last week and index 3 and 4 for everything and don't have to spread lime either. Got one couple of years ago and values lower so also wondering about is it accurate.



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    #251
    blue5000
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,667 Mod ✭✭✭✭blue5000


    Where do you get results? I got a text last week looking for an email address and sent it in. Do they email them or do we log on to agfood?

    If the seat's wet, sit on yer hat, a cool head is better than a wet ar5e.



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    #252
    patsy_mccabe
    Registered Users Posts: 10,806 ✭✭✭✭patsy_mccabe


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119102489#Comment_119102489

    I got a text like you and they sent on results by email. Takes a couple of weeks.

    By the way, my results came back with MG4 on most of the land. What are we the lmplications of this?

    'If I ventured in the slipstream, Between the viaducts of your dream'



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    #253
    blue5000
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,667 Mod ✭✭✭✭blue5000


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119102798#Comment_119102798

    High Mg, if you are spreading lime, don't use high Mg lime would be my guess.

    If the seat's wet, sit on yer hat, a cool head is better than a wet ar5e.



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    #254
    straight
    Registered Users Posts: 4,844 ✭✭✭straight


    Did anyone get the micro nutrient report yet?



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    #255
    blue5000
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,667 Mod ✭✭✭✭blue5000


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119247114#Comment_119247114

    No, just got the first results this week 2/3 of the samples are index 3 or better for both P&K, a few index 2 and none are index 1. No lime needed either. Bird cover was very high for P and K, hardly surprising really as no crop taken off it the last 5 years. Silage fields are the usual low K suspects.

    If the seat's wet, sit on yer hat, a cool head is better than a wet ar5e.



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    #256
    Banana Republic 1
    Registered Users Posts: 3,328 ✭✭✭Banana Republic 1


    Soil sampling soil, analysis and yield mapping should be what everyone is doing themselves regardless and not every 10 years after a blue moon. Farming is a way of life but it’s also a business.

    re carbon in soil, inherently fields that are not often or ever ploughed will have higher concentrations.



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    #257
    Dinzee Conlee
    Registered Users Posts: 2,149 ✭✭✭Dinzee Conlee


    Are the carbon results available yet? Good while since the sampling was done here now…

    Anyone know anything about it?



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    #258
    Sacrolyte
    Registered Users Posts: 856 ✭✭✭Sacrolyte


    Soils sent over to some lab in the uk. They talked the talk at contract time but obviously not walking the walk. Plenty capable labs over here that could have done it.



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    #259
    White Clover
    Registered Users Posts: 4,632 ✭✭✭White Clover


    I got the text last December that I was accepted in to the scheme. Not a Dickie bird until 2 weeks ago when a lady rang wanting to call out to do samples. I said no point as I had lime, slurry and fertilizer spread in the previous 2 weeks. She was insisting on doing them until I questioned her on her bone fides. Did she want accurate results or is it just a box ticking exercise.

    When they didn't have the scheme completed for April 1st they should have parked it until Januaty 2023. It's a bit disrespectful to be trying to pull the wool over farmers eyes.



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    #260
    older by the day
    Registered Users Posts: 1,803 ✭✭✭older by the day


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119670115#Comment_119670115

    Definitely we were always told that mid winter up to spreading again in spring was the correct time for samples.



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    #261
    Anto_Meath
    Registered Users Posts: 1,334 ✭✭✭Anto_Meath


    When is actually the best time to spread lime? Always heard if it was spread in the spring it could cause your silage to go a blackish colour..



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    #262
    endainoz
    Registered Users Posts: 5,043 ✭✭✭endainoz


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119670115#Comment_119670115

    That sampler should be reported to the lab they were contracting for.



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    #263
    endainoz
    Registered Users Posts: 5,043 ✭✭✭endainoz


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119669580#Comment_119669580

    Only the e coli samples sent to lab in UK. All other samples tested in IAS labs in Carlow.



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    #264
    tanko
    Registered Users Posts: 9,267 ✭✭✭tanko


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119674026#Comment_119674026

    Not a good idea to spread lime on ground you’ll be cutting for silage within six months so they say. Now would be a good time.



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    #265
    endainoz
    Registered Users Posts: 5,043 ✭✭✭endainoz


    Apparently DAFM are working on getting the soil mineral analysis out soon. Got that from the lab yesterday. Also the scheme is due to open again soon. Anyone thinking of going for ACRES might as well go for it as soil sampling will be mandatory on it and this will get it done for free.



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    #266
    endainoz
    Registered Users Posts: 5,043 ✭✭✭endainoz


    Have a bit of an update on the soil sampling scheme, unfortunately it isn't good news. The dept was due to roll out this scheme again for the start of this year and the contract was available for different groups to go for.

    Initially the contract was awarded to a different crowd than the ones I was sampling for. The people I was working for appealed the decision, their argument was that they were already established and have a network around the country setup already.

    After the appeal the dept in their infinite wisdom, have since decided to pull the scheme altogether and the latest is that it likely will not be running at all this year.



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    #267
    Jb1989
    Registered Users Posts: 2,477 ✭✭✭Jb1989


    No sign of the mineral report from this scheme still.



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    #268
    endainoz
    Registered Users Posts: 5,043 ✭✭✭endainoz


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120367501#Comment_120367501

    No talk of it at all, apparently it's a DAFM issue.



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    #269
    Jb1989
    Registered Users Posts: 2,477 ✭✭✭Jb1989


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120369849#Comment_120369849

    Yea not a word. And yea, as you said, they've pulled it for this year altogether. Dead duck.



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    #270
    Bass Reeves
    Registered Users Posts: 18,651 ✭✭✭✭Bass Reeves


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120369889#Comment_120369889

    Soil sampling after the 1st of march isa waste of time as cattle will be starting to be let out and there may be slurry spread already. You need to sample before either of these events

    Slava Ukrainii



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    #271
    Jb1989
    Registered Users Posts: 2,477 ✭✭✭Jb1989


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120372075#Comment_120372075

    Of course, but the contract was not renewed to let that happen.



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