Soil analysis results - Soil Essentials: Managing Your Farm's Primary Asset - page 67

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Soil analysis results
The way soil analyses are reported will vary from state to state and between
laboratories within a state. A reputable laboratory will use test methods in
accordance with the Australian standards and will be able to produce repeatable
results from samples tested.
The chosen laboratory should be properly accredited and their reports are
written to meet the client's needs. Once a laboratory is chosen it is better to stick
with it rather than switch from one to another, as this makes it easier to compare
individual paddock results over a number of years.
Soil sample preparation
When submitting a sample for testing, the lab will ask for basic information to
identify the client, the location where the sample came from, previous fertiliser
history of the paddock, and the ongoing or proposed land use for the area being
tested. They will also ask for the sampling depth, for example, 0-10 cm. Bearing in
mind that laboratories may process thousands of samples, it is important that each
sample sent for testing is clearly labelled, so it can be accurately identified as it goes
through the testing and reporting procedure.
The laboratory report
(1) Colour and texture . Soil colour and texture will be shown, for example, grey-
brown clay loam. Some labs may use the new Australian Soil Classification
terminology that more precisely specifies a soil according to its chemistry, for