Analysis/procedure Method Reference
Standard Soil Scoop
Soil Sample Log-in
Soil Sample Preparation
Soil Sample Dipping - pH
Water pH
  1. Peech, M. 1965. Hydrogen-ion Activity. In C. A. Black(ed). Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 2, Chemical and Microbiological Properties #9, Amer. Soc. Agron. Madison, Wisconsin., pp 914-925.
  2. Schofield, R. K. and A. W. Taylor. 1955. The Measurement of Soil pH. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. Proc. 19:164-167.
Lime Requirement - Exchangeable Hydrogen Adams-Evans Buffer Method
  1. Adams, F. and C. E. Evans. 1962. A Rapid Method of Measuring Lime Requirement of Red-Yellow Podzolic Soils. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. Proc. 26(4): 355-357.
  2. Hajek, B. F., F. Adams, and J. T. Cope. 1972. Rapid Determination of Exchangeable Bases, Acidity, and Base Saturation for Soil Characterization. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. Proc. 36: 436-438.
Soil Dipping Procedure - Extractable P, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Mn
Soil Extraction Procedure - P, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Mn Mehlich 1 Method
  1. Mehlich, A. 1953. Determination of P, Ca, Mg, K, Na, and NH4. North Carolina Soil Test Division (Mimeo 1953).
  2. Nelson, W. L., A. Mehlich, and E. Winters. 1953. The Development, Evaluation, and Use of Soil Tests for Phosphorus Availability. In W. H. Pierre and A. G. Norman (eds). Soil and Fertilizer Phosphorus Vol. II. Agronomy A Series of Monograph, pp 153-188.
  3. Perkins, H. F. 1970. A Rapid Method of Evaluating the Zinc Status of Coastal Plain Soils. Comm. in Soil Sci. and Plant Anal. 1:35-46.
Soil Pouring Up Procedure ICP Soil180 Method
Soil Analysis - extractable P, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Mn ICP Method
  1. Isaac, R. A. and W. C. Johnson. 1983. High speed analysis of agricultural samples using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy. Spectrochemica Acta. 38B: 277-282.
  2. Munter, R. C. and R. A. Grande. 1981. Plant tissue and soil extract analysis by ICP-atomic emission spectroscopy. In R.M. Barnes (ed). Developments In Atomic Plasma Analysis. 653-672.
  3. Soltanpour, P. N. and S. M. Workman. 1981. Use of inductively-coupled plasma spectroscopy for the simultaneous determination of macro- and micronutrients in NH4HCO3-DPTA extracts of soils. In R. M. Barnes (ed). Developments In Atomic Plasma Analysis. 673-680.
Soil Analysis - Hot Water Extractable Boron ICP Method
  1. Gupta, U. C. 1967. A Simplified Method for Detetmining Hot Water-soluble Boron in Podzol Soils. Soil Sci. 103:424-428
  2. Odom, J. W. 1980. Kinetics of the Hot-water Soluble Boron Soil Test. Comm. Soil Sci, Plant Anal. 11(7): 750-769.
  3. Gestring, W.D. and P. N. Soltanpour. 1981. Boron Analysis in Soil Extracts and Plant Tissue by Plasma Emission Spectroscopy. Comm. Soil Sci. Plant Anal. 12(8): 733-742.
Soil Analysis - Organic Matter Walkley-Black Method
  1. Jackson, M. L. 1958. Soil Chemical Analysis. 214-221.
  2. Walkley, A. 1947. A Critical Examination of a Rapid Method for Determination of Organic Carbon in Soils - Effect of Variations in Digestion Conditions and of Inorganic Soil Constituents. Soil Sci. 63:251-257.
  3. Walkley, A. and I. A. Black. 1934. An Examination of Degtjareff Method for Determining Soil Organic Matter and a Proposed Modification of the Chromic Acid Titration Method. Soil Sci. 37:29-37.
  4. Schollenberger, C. J. 1927. A Rapid Approximate Method for Determining Soil Organic Matter. Soil Sci. 24:65-68.
Soil Analysis - Organic Matter Loss on ignition Method
  1. Cuniff, P. A. (ed). Official Methods of Analysis of AOAC International, 16th edition. Method 2.7.08. Chapter 2. p 37.
Soil Analysis - Soluble Salts Conductivity Method
  1. Bower, C. A. and L. V. Wilcox. 1965. Soluble Salts. In C. A. Black (ed). Methods of Soil Analysis. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. pp 933-951.
  2. Jackson, M. L. 1958. Soil Chemical Analysis. pp 227-255.
Soil Analysis - Extractable NH4-N Colorimetric-Autoanalyzer Method
  1. Mehlich, A. 1953. Determination of P, Ca, Mg, K, Na, and NH4. North Carolina Soil Test Division(Mimeo 1953).
  2. Methods for Chemical Analysis of Water and Wastes. March 1984. EPA-600/4- 79-020. "Nitrogen,Ammonia" Method 350.1 (Colorimetric, Automated Phenate) Storet No. Total 00610, Dissolved 00608.
Soil Analysis - Extractable NO3-N Colorimetric-Autoanalyzer Method
  1. Dorich, R. A. and D. W. Nelson. 1984. Evaluation of Manual Cadmium Reduction Methods for Determination of Nitrate in Potassium Chloride Extracts. SOIL Sci. Soc. Am. J. 48:72-75.
  2. Huffman, S. A. and K. A. Barbarick. 1981. Soil Nitrate Analysis by Cadmium Reduction. Comm. Soil Sci. Plant Anal. 12(1):79-89.
  3. Methods for Chemical Analysis of Water and Wastes, March 1984. EPA-600/4- 79-020. Nitrogen, Nitrate-Nitrite, Method 353.2 (Colorimetric Automated, Cadmium Reduction) STORET No. Total 00630.
Soil Analysis - Extractable Chloride Colorimetric-Autoanalyzer Method
  1. Method for Chemical Analysis of Water and Wastes, March 1984. EPA-600/4- 79-020, "Chloride", Method 325.2 (Automated Ferricyanide) STORET No. 00940. Environmental Monitoring and Support Laboratory. Office of Research and Development. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
  2. Zali, D. M., D. Fisher, and M. Q. Garner. Photometric determination of chloride in water. Analytical Chemistry, Vol 28 No 11, 1665-1668.
  3. Adriano, D. C. And H. E. Doner. 1982. Bromine, chlorine, and fluorine. In A. L. Page. R. H. Miller and D. R. Keeney (ed.). Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 2, 2nd Ed. Agronomy 9:461-462.
Soil Analysis - Texture Classification Bouyoucos Method
  1. Bouyoucos, G. J. 1936. Directions for Making Mechanical Analysis of Soils by the Hydrometer Method. Soil Sci. 42(3).
  2. Day, P. R. 1965. Particle Fractionation and Particle-Size Analysis. In C. A. Black (ed) Methods of Soil Analysis. Part I. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer.
Soil Analysis - Greenhouse Media Saturated Media Extract Method
  1. Warncke, D. D., 1986, Analyzing greenhouse growth media by the saturation extraction method. Hort. Sci. 21:223-225.
Calculation of Estimated Cation Exchange Capacity of Soil Mehlich 1 Extraction
  1. Hesse, P. R., 1972 A Textbook of Soil Analysis, pp. 91-105, Chemical Publishing Co., N. Y.
  2. Jackson, M. L. 1958, Soil Chemical Analysis, pp. 59-67, Printice-Hall, Inc., Englewood, N. J.

Other Reference Soil Test Methods

Analysis/procedure Method Reference
Mehlich 1 - Extractable K,Ca,Mg,Zn,Mn AA Method
  1. Isaac, R.A. and J. O. Kerber.1971. Atomic Absorption and Flame Photometry: Technique and Uses in Soil, Plant andWater Analysis. In L. M. Walsh (ed) Instrumental Methods of Analysis of Soils and Plant Tissue. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer., Madison, Wisconsin, pp17-37.
Mehlich 1 - Extractable P Colorimetric-Autoanalyzer Method
  1. Isaac, R. A. and J. B. Jones. 1970. AutoAnalyzer systems for the analysis of soil and plant tissue extracts. In Technicon International Congress.
  2. Technicon AutoAnalyzer II. 1973. Ortho Phosphate In Water and Wastewater. Industrial Method No. 94-70W. Technicon Industrial Systems.
Extractable Sulfate Turbidimetric Method
  1. Massuomi, A. and A. H. Cornfield. 1963. A Rapid Method of Determining Sulfate in Water Extracts of Soils. Analyst. 88:321-322.
  2. Chaudry, I. A. and A. H. Cornfield. 1966. The Determination of Total Sulfur in Soil and Plant Material. Analyst. 91:528-530.
Extractable P,K,Ca,Mg,Na,Mn,Zn,Cu Mehlich III Method
  1. Mehlich, A. 1978. New extractant for soil test evaluation of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium, manganese, and zinc. Commun. Soil Sci. Plant Anal. 9(6):477-492.
  2. Mehlich, A. 1984. Mehlich 3 soil test extractant: a modification of Mehlich 2 extractant. Commu. Soil. Sci. Plnat Anal. 15(12):1409-1416.
Extractable Zn,Fe,Mn,Cu DTPA Method
  1. Lindsey, W. L., and W. A. Norvell. 1978. Development of a DTPA soil test for zinc, iron, manganese, and copper. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. J. 42:421-428.
Extractable P Bray P-1
  1. Bray, R. H., and L. T. Kurtz. 1945. Determination of total, organic, and available form of phosphorus in soil. Soil Soc. 58:39-45.
Exchangeable K,Ca,Mg,Na Neutral 1 Normal Ammonium Acetate Procedure
  1. Chapman, D. D. 1965. Total exchangeable bases. pp. 902-904. In C. A. Black (ed), Methods of soil analysis, part 2., Agronomy No. 9. Am. Soc. Agron.
Calculation of estimated cation exchange capacity of a soil Neutral 1 Normal Ammonium Acetate Procedure
  1. Hesse, P.R., 1972, A Textbook of Soil Chemical Analysis, Chemical Publishing Co., N.Y., pp 91-105.
  2. Jackson, M.L., 1958, Soil Chemical Analysis, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood, N.J., pp 59-67.
Azomethine-H procedure exttractable Boron Colorimetric Method
  1. Basson, W. D., R. G. Bohmer, and D. A. Stanton. 1969. An automated procedure for the determination of boron in plant tissue. Analyst 94:1135-1141
  2. Wolf, B. 1971. The determination of boron in soil extracts, plant materials, compost, manure, water, and nutrient solutions. Commu. Soil Sci. Plant Anal. 2:363-374.
  3. Wolf, B. 1974. Improvements in the azomethine-H method for the determination of boron. Commu. Soil Sci. Plant Anal. 5(1):39-44.
Boron Azomethine-H Preparation
Extractable Boron Curcumin Method - Colorimetric
  1. Naftel. J. A. 1939. Colorimeter micro-determination of boron by the curcumin-acetate solution method. Anal. Chem. 25:1264-1267.
Organic Carbon
  1. Mebius, L. J., 1960, A rapid method for the determination of organic carbon in soil. Anal. Chem. Acta. 22:120-124.