Farmers and landowners in Webster, Hamilton, Boone, Calhoun and Greene counties are all able to participate in INREC’s free Nitrogen soil sampling project. Additional counties in the Middle Cedar watershed will be added for fall sampling.

Growers in the five key counties can partake in the free soil sampling pilot for three years at no cost. All that is required is simple field information that can be input into the sign up form and a short, post-season survey. 

INREC will be hosting this project in partnership with Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. For professional and standardized testing, SoilView will be carrying out the actual sampling and lab analysis will be completed by Midwest Labs. Then, growers will receive their data directly, informing them of residual nitrogen to consider when sidedressing nitrogen. All soil samples will be aggregated and anonymized for use by Iowa State University to improve nitrogen and crop models. Sign up is for spring sampling, however, fall sampling will be encouraged as well.

This is a FREE way to better understand the nitrogen profile and needs of your soil on an individual field-level. The program is built around one simple idea: better data leads to better decisions. By understanding how much nitrogen is already in the soil, farmers can make more informed choices during a season when every input dollar counts. This data will also help support ongoing conservation efforts that better soil health, water quality and more.