₦airaland Forum

What is the cost to do Soil test for a farm?

I would like to hear from people who have actually done it.

It's depends on the area of the land you're during for a stand once you will be asked to provide 3 to 6sample randomly on an acre but via look of it professional only 3 sample is okay so far the soil texture is being observed properly.... it should not be more than 2500 to 4000naira per sample at ibadan

olamzy45:
It's depends on the area of the land you're during for a stand once you will be asked to provide 3 to 6sample randomly on an acre but via look of it professional only 3 sample is okay so far the soil texture is being observed properly.... it should not be more than 2500 to 4000naira per sample at ibadan

Great info. Thank you.

unikwa:
What is the cost to do Soil test for a farm?

I would like to hear from people who have actually done it.

The kind of test determines the number of samples and the prices. The answer above you have received is not accurate. What exactly are you trying to investigate in your soil?

Attit:
The kind of test determines the number of samples and the prices. The answer above you have received is not accurate. What exactly are you trying to investigate in your soil?

Just to know the general MICRO- and MACRONUTRIENT contents.
The idea of farming and blindly applying fertilizer is not appealing to me.

unikwa:
Just to know the general MICRO- and MACRONUTRIENT contents.
The idea of farming and blindly applying fertilizer is not appealing to me.

Lol.
Bro, dont waste your money. Find the total nutrients your plants need, and add the quantity plus 10% - 20%. Bro, soil nutrient test is for commercial farming. I'm talking about tens to hundreds of hectares. Not 1 plot to 15 plots you might want to do which you can do manually and measure accurately. Why would you want to spend money on soil nutrient tests for a small farm?

Oga, add enough compost if its veggie and get Phosphorus, Calcium and Magnesium as basal plus NPK. If veggie and using drip irrigation, get your nitrogen there gradually and other nutrients.

In this modern farming drip irrigation, sprinkler etc which gives precosion method, you still want to waste money on nutrient test for a small farm? A beg, read more recent farming techniques.

Lastly, the test results in Nigeria are not accurate. They arent even near fairly accurate. Rubbish results. Let it slide. I dont do it, and I will never do it. Waste of resources.

Attit:
Lol.
Bro, dont waste your money. Find the total nutrients your plants need, and add the quantity plus 10% - 20%. Bro, soil nutrient test is for commercial farming. I'm talking about tens to hundreds of hectares. Not 1 plot to 15 plots

Why are you assuming this test is for 15 plots?

unikwa:
Why are you assuming this test is for 15 plots?

Because nairaland farmers are poor and the advice you get here is for struggling and stubborn farmers who will work extremely hard in their eyes, and at the end will make nothing for many years yet they will continue to feel important. However, there are very minimal intelligent people.

If you have carried out research, or you have worked in any kind of laboratory in Nigeria (medical for human for livestock, for plants or for general constructions), you will understand why moving your samples abroad no matter the amount is paramount. In your case since nutrient soil test is not that expensive (but out of reach of Nairaland farmers who prefer carrying buckets on their heads to irrigate 1 acre of land), and if your land is massive and you will use it like bi-annually, I suggest you import your equipment. You may be shocked that the fairly cheap ones you see will be more accurate than the ones used in those labs you want to donate unnecessary funds you can divert into fertilizer to.

Also, think well. After having a result, are you sure you are applying the real quantity of fertilizer? You will need to move all bags of fertilizers to the lab to check if they are really what they say they are. You will be extremely shocked what you will get. Is it not Nigeria you are? Do you think the value of Nitrogen in urea is what they put on the sack (same applies to NPKs, lime, and all other ones)? They have reduced the quantity and added fillers. Lol. No be naija? Mayne you will need to import your own bags of fertilizer and measure them everytime too. Lol. Is it not Nigeria?

Oga whether 15 plots or 1,000 plots, you better learn how to read signals and symptoms in your plants to know nutrition deficiency and overdose. And learn optimizing fertilizer (organic or inorganic) application. You harm in Nigeria with sense. Not just copy and paste on your farm all you see on nairaland. Zero over zero.

If large scale, go and learn tissue test. Buy correct first class equipment and use it. But before you can use it, you must be a good farmer first.

The method above is what I use to achieve high yield of grains. And I was travelling so frequently before covid 19. And I would move with a vehicle to travel round hectares of land in the north. Until I fully decided to move in a drone. Still learning how to do some moves even after I have learned flying it excellently. But right now, I dont move out of my house to monitor farms anymore. Thank God for technology and for the ability to "waste money" so nairaland farmers will tell you. But I waste on something which worths it. Some fail, while anyone I have breakthrough with is huge. This one is a huge victory for me. A skill people pay thousands of dollars to learn. But in naija, who will teach you how to fly it and take ordinary pictures? Not to talk of driving it for Agricultural purposes. Even I monitor farms in the US and some.EU nations now. So bro, is it a farmer on nairaland who will pay me for my service? I laugh in Swahili.

Go and make research and buy a soil test equipment. And if you have enough experience with farming, tissue test is your best bet. This is what modern farmers even in advance nations use. Soil test is becoming obsolete, though still used for some technical purposes. Farm like someone in 2021. But if you decide to contribute to laboratories to pay the salaries of incompetent workers who dont care about getting you accurate results, then, go and use their useless labs. Even the professor who is the lead in the Ibadan lab someone advice you to go will make sure he sends his samples abroad, or tackles the technicians bumper to bumper to make sure accurate result is given him when doing research. But you that want to do many hectares feel you are safe while you leave your samples there. Now, I am speaking in tongues.

Goodluck bro!

Attit:
Because nairaland farmers are poor and the advice you get here is for struggling and stubborn farmers who will work extremely hard in their eyes, and at the end will make nothing for many years yet they will continue to feel important. However, there are very minimal intelligent people.

Wow! Really down on people on this forum.
My advice for you, never paint with a broad brush. You come across as a nut, with a chip on his shoulder.

unikwa:
Wow! Really down on people on this forum.
My advice for you, never paint with a broad brush. You come across as a nut, with a chip on his shoulder.

Wow! Absolutely down to people on it. My comment is always: Experience is the best teacher. It has taught me to say it as it is, but you meet a nut calling another a nut, you allow him display his folly. The poor man is always eager to defend himself with abusive words when he is told the truth. But when perfect retaliatory words lands on his head, he starts playing the victim's role. What I know is: when a rich sensible man reads the comment above, he smiles cos he spots the main issues there. There will always be less than 0.5% successful people. Less than 15 plots, he gat the answer. More than 15, he gat. But a poor man will always exhibit the symptoms because even he cannot afford 15 plots. You always know them. My comment is not for him, but for people who might be misled by this thread. Readers, farm with your senses. Read, and pick words in the lines. Leave poor people with stubbornness and entitlements. Bountiful harvest to us all.

Attit:
Wow! Absolutely down to people on it. My comment is always: Experience is the best teacher. It has taught me to say it as it is, but you meet a nut calling another a nut, you allow him display his folly. The poor man is always eager to defend himself with abusive words when he is told the truth. But when perfect retaliatory words lands on his head, he starts playing the victim's role. What I know is: when a rich sensible man reads the comment above, he smiles cos he spots the main issues there. There will always be less than 0.5% successful people. Less than 15 plots, he gat the answer. More than 15, he gat. But a poor man will always exhibit the symptoms because even he cannot afford 15 plots. You always know them. My comment is not for him, but for people who might be misled by this thread. Readers, farm with your senses. Read, and pick words in the lines. Leave poor people with stubbornness and entitlements. Bountiful harvest to us all.

I see why this place is called a sewer. Rather than stating points simply, or even seek to teach, people would rather rant.

Hmm....

Attit:
Lol.
Bro, dont waste your money. Find the total nutrients your plants need, and add the quantity plus 10% - 20%. Bro, soil nutrient test is for commercial farming. I'm talking about tens to hundreds of hectares. Not 1 plot to 15 plots you might want to do which you can do manually and measure accurately. Why would you want to spend money on soil nutrient tests for a small farm?

Oga, add enough compost if its veggie and get Phosphorus, Calcium and Magnesium as basal plus NPK. If veggie and using drip irrigation, get your nitrogen there gradually and other nutrients.

In this modern farming drip irrigation, sprinkler etc which gives precosion method, you still want to waste money on nutrient test for a small farm? A beg, read more recent farming techniques.

Lastly, the test results in Nigeria are not accurate. They arent even near fairly accurate. Rubbish results. Let it slide. I dont do it, and I will never do it. Waste of resources.

How do one find out the total nutrient ones plant needs?