Standard Soil Fertility Test Kits
are $15.00 each. You can purchase a soil test kit from your local
Cornell Cooperative Extension office, or you can send a check for $16.50 ($15.00
for the kit plus $1.50 for shipping) with an
Order Form to:
Cornell Nutrient Analysis Laboratory
804 Bradfield Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
Each kits includes a soil mailing bag; a plastic soil bag; information regarding
soil sampling; and a submission form that needs to be filled out and sent with the
sample to generate proper recommendations for your field, lawn, or garden.
Bag numbers present a simple way to trace your soil sample once it arrives at the
laboratory. Without a bag number, it is difficult to track the status of your soil
sample while it is being processed. Bag numbers can be found on the mailing bag.
Please be sure to write your bag number on your submission form.
In a wet sample, rapid biological transformations of the amounts and forms of soil
nutrients (particularly forms of inorganic nitrogen) can occur. Drying is an effective
means of preserving the field chemical characteristics of the soil sample. If it
is necessary to sample wet soil, spread the sample in a thin layer on an aluminum
pie pan or on a clean sheet of wrapping paper or waxed paper, and allow to dry out
at room temperature. Do not use heat to hasten drying. A fan blowing across the
sample usually speeds drying.
Your results will be accurate so long as you are testing your soil for pH and the
minerals included in our standard soil test, with the exception of the PSNT. This
test requires immediate processing. If you wish to have your soil analyzed for anything
else, be sure to call our office for more information before sending in your sample.
Samples are held in storage for two weeks upon completion of testing.
We often test for heavy metals, including lead. Please check the description of
our heavy metals tests to ensure we can fulfill your request. Keep in mind that
you will not receive any recommendations or test results interpretations if you
choose to have your soil tested through Research.
We do not currently offer analysis of herbicide, pesticides, and other organic chemicals
in various materials. A complete list of our offered analyses can be found at Research
Services Available.
CNAL operates a comprehensive soil characterization service in addition to its nutrient
analysis service. Please refer to our submittal form,
Form RS: Research Soil Analysis
, for more information and a list of services available.
You can certainly submit soil samples from outside of New York State, but we cannot
generate recommendations for you. Recommendations are generated via a computer program
that takes into account the different soil types found throughout our state. Since
our program does not contain information on out-of-state soils, we cannot generate
recommendations for non-NYS soil. If you live outside of New York State, and you
want recommendations, it is better to send you soil to your local Cooperative Extension
laboratory.
Anyone, living in the United States or elsewhere in the world can submit soil, water,
or plant material for us to analyze. International submissions are treated as quarantine
samples, and we will simply issue you a permit to accompany your sample. Please
call our office to make shipping and payment arrangements.
Absolutely! And your samples will be received and treated with just as much care
and attention as our farmers' and growers' samples.
Unfortunately, we do not currently have recommendations for garlic growers. You
can have your soil analyzed by our lab and then call the Garlic Hotline at 1-800-330-5922
for more information. Our Horticulture Department also has information regarding
garlic.
We are not a state certified environmental laboratory. Samples with direct regulatory
and/or public policy implications should be submitted to a certified laboratory.
Note: We are actively working on getting certified in various analysis areas.
Turn around time is usually between 4 to 5 business days from the time we receive
your samples. However, during the spring and fall seasons, which are our busiest
times, it may be slightly longer. Consider that Standard Soil Fertility Test Kit take longer to travel
by mail than a letter would and the sender should plan accordingly. Turnaround may
be delayed if a proper submittal form is not used, inadequate sample amount is enclosed,
or if we did not receive appropriate payment.
Our turn-around time for processing soils range from 4-5 business days for samples
that require recommendations, to 2-3 weeks for samples that require many tests.
Generally, fall and spring are our busiest seasons for handling farmers and growers
samples. If needed during such times, you may arrange to pay a rush fee to expedite
analysis of your samples.
Your local Cornell Cooperative Extension office will have valuable resources and
expertise to handle your questions regarding your test results. They will contact
the Cornell Nutrient Analysis Lab if there are questions they cannot answer.
Culvers and Cattaraugus are retired soil names that are no longer recognized by
our laboratory information management system, and our staff changed them to replacement
names. If you are still uncertain, please call our office to clarify any problems.
Each number is designated to represent the nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium,
respectively, as a percentage of each nutrient available in the fertilizer product.
Thus, a 10-6-4 fertilizer will have 10% nitrogen, 6% phosphorus, and 4% potassium.
Nitrogen is used to promote new green growth; phosphorus is applied to improve root
development as well as increase flowers on the plant; and potassium is needed for
the general well-being of the plant, including disease prevention and weather resistance.
Your second question is best answered by your local Cooperative Extension Educator,
as they are more familiar with your county's agriculture industry and have more
expertise in your area of the state. They will be able to determine a proper, close
proportional match for your fertilizer needs, and will give you any needed additional
information.
2 pound per acre is equal to 1 part per million is also equal to 1 milligram per
kilogram.
2lbs/acre = 1ppm = 1mg/kg
Cornell Cropware is a software program for farmers and consultants creating site specific
nutrient management plans which will promote nutrient recycling and limit environmental
degradation. In addition, Cornell Cropware provides supporting documentation for
development of CAFO compliant Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans.
The program is available to any New York user at no charge.
Click here to visit the
Cornell Cropware website and download the program and supporting documentation.
You can import soil test results into cropware by contacting our lab's director,
Dr. Renuka Rao (
rbr25@cornell.edu) with
your request. She can then provide you with a data file that can be imported
into Cropware.
No problem! We'd love to show you around. Call, write or email us to make an appointment.
The solutions can be poured down the drain. Run plenty of water to rinse your sink
and pipes thoroughly.
There are very few public domain images in our pages. Consequently, most of our
images and textural content are covered by U.S. copyright. We have no objection
to you copying anything from our pages, but we'd appreciate you contacting us first.
Yes, we accept credit cards.
Cornell Structural Soil is a patented "soil" for optimum growing. Please see our
Horticulture Department's webpage on CU Soil for more information
Contact us at
soiltest@cornell.edu or
go to our
Contact page.