SOIL testing is the basis for good fertiliser management. It maintains the productivity of soils and improves the quality of crops; it promotes more efficient fertiliser use at a lower cost and prevents environmental pollution from excess fertilisers.

Low soil fertility is unfavourable to crop growth, hence crops which are provided with the nutrients they need at the required rates are stronger and more resistant to pests and diseases. As such, soil testing is recommended before the planting of any crop. Based on the soil test results, recommendations are made to the farmer or other stakeholders on the best way to optimise crop production.

The Soil Chemistry Laboratory at the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) is capable of conducting the following analyses:
Calcium
Magnesium
Sodium
Potassium
Iron
Zinc
Phosphorus
Organic Carbon
Organic Matter
Exchangeable Acidity
pH
Electrical conductivity

A soil test helps us to tell:
1. The type of fertiliser to use
2. The quantity of fertiliser to use
3. The quantity of limestone that should be added to the soil
4. If the soil is salty, or toxic, and how to correct these conditions

Procedure for taking soil sample:
1. Soils are distinctly different, crop growth or past treatment must be sampled separately, provided that the area can be fertilised and treated separately;
2. To take a sample, remove all loose debris from the soil surface, dig a ‘V’-shaped hole to the required depth. Clean the hole and remove 3cm thick slice along one side of the ‘V’ from top to bottom. Or a core or auger may be used to take the sample. This should be repeated 15 or more places in each area to be sampled;
3. Where fields have been recently fertilised, try to avoid sites where fertiliser was placed; and
4. For tree crops sample from a 90cm wide area at the edge of the drip circle
Do-it-yourself kits usually only test for the three “major nutrients,” and soil acidity or pH level, private labs, and some hardware and gardening stores. Electrical maters that measure pH, water content, and sometimes nutrient content of the soil are available at many hardware stores. Laboratory tests are more accurate than tests with do-it-yourself kits and electrical meters.