Digging in the Dirt Photo © Dreamstime/Sharon Kingston The reliability of soil testing By Doug Soldat, PhD M ost people have heard the phrase, “Don’t guess, soil test!” or have listened to a speaker tout this procedure’s importance before planning out a fertility program. The truth is a soil test is only as good as the method used and the data behind it. Unfortunately, the methods are not always appropriate and the data may be thin or non-existent. However, soil testing can be 12 May 2013 CG_May2013.indd 12 4/15/13 10:46:54 AM